‘Tremors’ Is About As Good As Horror-Comedy Gets (Review)

Written by: Greg McCabe

Directed by: Ron Underwood

Cast: Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Finn Carter

Some movies age better than others. In my opinion, Tremors is still just as good as the day it came out in 1990. This popcorn flick has a little of everything: horror, comedy, thrills, chills, action, adventure, and all the underground-worm-monsters you can handle!

It’s hard to discuss Tremors without comparing it to the creature-features of the 1950s. Personally, I think it stands completely on its own merit. Sure, the basic recipe is the same (giant monsters terrorize a small desert town), but the end product is much different. Thanks to great pacing and extraordinarily likable characters, this film has transcended the monster movie sub-genre and achieved cult status.

Two handymen, Val (Kevin Bacon) and Earl (Fred Ward), find themselves battling massive worm-like creatures after members of their small, isolated community start dying in mysterious ways. The semi-absurd plot is handled with the perfect balance of seriousness and camp, giving viewers a seamless blend of tense action and lighthearted humor.

As far as acting goes, it’s obvious that Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward carry the movie. Their onscreen bromance is an absolute delight. There are also a number of very memorable supporting cast members, especially Victor Wong, who plays Walter Chang, the owner of the town’s only grocery store.

This film has so much going for it that it’s hard to find any negatives. I would say my one complaint—and it’s a mild one—would be that the soundtrack was rather forgettable. It’s just a generic-sounding movie score, basically background music. I think a couple of late-80s rock songs could have rounded out this movie perfectly.

Other than that, you just can’t go wrong with Tremors. It’s fun and thrilling, and most importantly, it never takes itself too seriously. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from this instant classic:

 

Valentine McKee: “Handymen, Earl. We are handymen.”

 

Earl Bassett: “I vote for outer space. No way these are local boys.”

 

Valentine McKee: “Hey, check this out. I found the ass-end!”

 

Melvin: “Way to go, dude!”

Rating: 4.5/5

About the author: Greg McCabe is a born-and-raised Texan. His debut novel, The Undying Love, was published in 2013. Greg enjoys all genres of fiction, but seems to gravitate towards horror and science fiction.