Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- dark
- paranoid
- grotesque
- late night horror marathon
- 1980s horror retrospective
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film mechanically staged and tedious, with suspense undermined by graphic gore and unreal effects.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Max Jenke is executed in an electric chair but returns as a reality-bending threat against Lucas McCarthy and his family.
Lucas's house becomes haunted and his wife and children are directly targeted by Max's attacks.
Critical descriptions specifically identify outbursts of graphic gore alongside surreal effects.
Lucas's sanity is questioned as his family is attacked and his home becomes haunted.
Films like The Horror Show, and why
Shocker
supernatural slasher premise involving an executed killer returning to torment a family, with graphic gore and surreal effects
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
late-1980s supernatural horror centered on a murderous antagonist who attacks victims through altered realities
The First Power
serial killer horror with an execution-linked supernatural threat and graphic violence
Prison
dark supernatural slasher featuring a violent killer whose death fails to end the threat
Movie Details
- Director
- James Isaac
- Release Date
- 1989-04-28
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 5.4 / 10 (172)
Cast
- Lance Henriksen
- Brion James
- Rita Taggart
- Dedee Pfeiffer
- Aron Eisenberg
- Thom Bray
- Matt Clark
- David Oliver
- Terry Alexander
- Lewis Arquette
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Horror Show about?
- After an executed serial killer transcends death, a detective battles a haunting that threatens his mind, home, and family.
- What is The Horror Show like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Horror Show as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Horror Show violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Horror Show as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Horror Show?
- Critics broadly found the film mechanically staged and tedious, with suspense undermined by graphic gore and unreal effects.
- Which films are like The Horror Show?
- Films with a similar feel include Shocker, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, The First Power, and Prison.
- How long is The Horror Show?
- The Horror Show runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Horror Show?
- In United States, The Horror Show streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
