Gremlins Becomes a Global Streaming Hit on HBO Max

There was a time when horror movies didn’t mind getting weird. The 1980s produced the surreal nightmares of A Nightmare on Elm Street and the gooey, creature-filled chaos of The Blob. Filmmakers of that era could combine practical-effects gore, unsettling monsters and a healthy dose of absurdity without worrying about fitting a single genre.

One 80s classic walked the line between horror and comedy better than most. It’s part Christmas fantasy, part creature-feature nightmare and part pitch-black comedy. It can make you laugh one minute and recoil the next, and it’s trending on streaming right now.

Gremlins, Joe Dante’s 1984 horror comedy, still balances laughs and genuine scares. Its mischievous monsters remain entertaining more than four decades later, and the film is finding an audience on HBO Max. It ranks third on the platform’s top movies chart, according to FlixPatrol.

What is Gremlins about?

Gremlins follows Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan), a young man whose father gives him an unusual Christmas present: a small, furry creature called a Mogwai. Billy names the pet Gizmo. Looking after it comes with three rules. Keep it away from bright light, never let it touch water, and never feed it after midnight.

Those rules don’t hold.

Once they’re broken, Billy’s quiet hometown of Kingston Falls is overrun by mischievous, destructive creatures. They turn a peaceful Christmas into a full-blown nightmare. The film mixes slapstick comedy with creature-feature horror.

Sequel, prequel series and Gremlins 3

The original’s success led to a sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, released in 1990. Dante directed again, and Galligan and Cates returned to their roles. The follow-up moves the chaos into a high-tech Manhattan skyscraper, where the creatures cause havoc on an even more ridiculous scale. The sequel is also streaming on HBO Max if you want a double feature.

The franchise also includes Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, a 2023 animated prequel series. It explores Gizmo’s origins and the early adventures of Sam Wing in 1920s Shanghai. The show ran for two seasons, and you can stream it on HBO Max as well.

A third live-action movie is on the way, though fans will wait longer than expected. Warner Bros. moved Gremlins 3 from its original November 2027 date to October 6, 2028. The first teaser offers a brief glimpse of Gizmo peeking out of a backpack. Chris Columbus, who wrote the original film, is set to direct. Plot details and casting have not been announced.

Related: The 2026 Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch and play

Source: Polygon