Grabbers: A Wonderful Mixture of Gremlins, Attack the Block and Tremors

Grabbers is fun, charming and rewatchable. It is a little Irish film that focuses on villagers who have to stay drunk to stay alive. The best thing about Grabbers is that it is immensely likable and doesn’t become a one-note shlock fest. It follows in the foot steps of Gremlins, Attack the Block and Tremors with its infusion of horror, comedy and oddness. You will cheer for the eventual drunk heroes as they battle ill-tempered aliens.

The story centers around an alien species (locals call them grabbers) running wild in a small Irish town. People are grabbed, laughs are had and the local police find out that alcohol is a reliable deterrent. The story has familiar elements such as the redeemed hero, cute love interest and cheeky town residents. However, these familiar elements are handled well and Richard Coyle, Ruth Bradley and Russel Tovey all add charm to their  characters.

Much Like James Wan (Insidious, Conjuring) the director Jon Wright plays with horror conventions and realizes he isn’t reinventing the wheel. He uses familiar tropes with aplomb and this creates a joyously good time involving one-liners, thrills and a guy getting flicked by an alien. Grabbers was created to entertain and it does not disappoint.  It is a drunken roller coaster with beautiful Irish scenery.

What I appreciate most is that the film doesn’t simply settle upon it’s interesting/cheeky plot. Writer Kevin Lehane did a fantastic job of building upon the funny idea. There are layers to the characters and there are enough surprises and jokes to keep it chugging along. It is absolutely absurd but it is told with confidence. It you look back at Tremors and Gremlins you will notice outrageous moments are embraced. Characters use poles to leap from rock to rock and furry Gremlins enjoy a night out watching Snow White. There is zero self consciousness to the films and that is why they work.

Check out Grabbers on Netflix. It is an incredibly fun film that wants to entertain. Comment and let me know what you think!