The Funhouse
Teenagers trapped overnight in a carnival funhouse become prey to a masked, deformed killer whose family runs the attraction.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- eerie
- foreboding
- claustrophobic
- late night horror marathon
- halloween viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found Tobe Hooper's carnival imagery, atmosphere, and suspense stylish and effective, while considering the story and shocks uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The killer is a deformed carnival performer whose masked pursuit combines slasher conventions with a sympathetic monster figure.
The funhouse's locked exits, hidden rooms, mechanical attractions, and ceiling openings turn a public carnival ride into an enclosed maze.
The freak show, grifters, performers, and exploitative owner present the carnival as a stylized, sour vision of American popular culture.
Amy and her friends secretly observe Madame Zena's murder, while the killer's family later searches the same enclosed space for the witnesses.
Films like The Funhouse, and why
Halloween
shared early slasher mechanics, teenage protagonists, and escalating survival suspense
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
shared carnival-like grotesquerie, masked killer imagery, and psychological horror atmosphere
The Town That Dreaded Sundown
shared teen-centered horror, enclosed attraction setting, and monster-movie elements
The Houses October Built
shared amusement-park setting, trapped victims, and stylized suspense
Movie Details
- Director
- Tobe Hooper
- Release Date
- 1981-03-13
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (435)
Cast
- Elizabeth Berridge
- Cooper Huckabee
- Kevin Conway
- Largo Woodruff
- Miles Chapin
- Jeanne Austin
- Jack McDermott
- Shawn Carson
- David Carson
- Sonia Zomina
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Funhouse about?
- Teenagers trapped overnight in a carnival funhouse become prey to a masked, deformed killer whose family runs the attraction.
- What is The Funhouse like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Funhouse as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Funhouse violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Funhouse as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Funhouse?
- Critics broadly found Tobe Hooper's carnival imagery, atmosphere, and suspense stylish and effective, while considering the story and shocks uneven.
- Which films are like The Funhouse?
- Films with a similar feel include Halloween, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, and The Houses October Built.
- How long is The Funhouse?
- The Funhouse runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Funhouse?
- In United States, The Funhouse is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
