The Deadly Spawn
A meteorite-born brood of alien parasites turns a New Jersey town into a feeding ground in this ferocious practical-effects creature feature.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Graphic
- frantic
- gruesome
- sincere
- late night horror marathon
- cult movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an engaging and surprisingly effective cult creature feature, especially for its inventive monsters, practical effects, and unapologetic gore.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The alien parasites and their attacks rely on prominent creature designs, makeup effects, and graphic carnage.
A meteorite carries alien parasites to Earth, where they reproduce and consume people in a nearby town.
The film combines relentless gore and creature-feature excess with an unusually earnest survival story and realistic character presentation.
The alien monsters make the basement of an old house their domain before spreading toward the town.
Films like The Deadly Spawn, and why
Alien
shared low-budget alien monster horror, graphic creature effects, and relentless practical gore
The Thing
shared extraterrestrial parasite premise, claustrophobic survival tension, and body-focused horror
The Blob
shared small-town creature invasion, practical effects, dark humor, and splatter energy
The Gate
shared underground creature menace, adolescent protagonists, and inventive practical monster effects
Movie Details
- Director
- Douglas McKeown
- Release Date
- 1983-04-22
- Runtime
- 81 min
- Rating
- 5.6 / 10 (111)
Cast
- Charles George Hildebrandt
- Tom DeFranco
- Richard Lee Porter
- Jean Tafler
- Karen Tighe
- James Brewster
- Elissa Neil
- Ethel Michelson
- John Schmerling
- Judith Mayes
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Shudder, Shudder Amazon Channel, Cultpix, Shudder Apple TV channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Deadly Spawn about?
- A meteorite-born brood of alien parasites turns a New Jersey town into a feeding ground in this ferocious practical-effects creature feature.
- What is The Deadly Spawn like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Deadly Spawn as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Deadly Spawn violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Deadly Spawn as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Deadly Spawn?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an engaging and surprisingly effective cult creature feature, especially for its inventive monsters, practical effects, and unapologetic gore.
- Which films are like The Deadly Spawn?
- Films with a similar feel include Alien, The Thing, The Blob, and The Gate.
- How long is The Deadly Spawn?
- The Deadly Spawn runs 81 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Deadly Spawn?
- In United States, The Deadly Spawn streams on Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Shudder, Shudder Amazon Channel, Cultpix, Shudder Apple TV channel.
