The Gremlins: a Christmas classic to kickstart the holidays.

Gremlins is one of those movies that serves as a perfect transition point between Halloween and Christmas, an absolute classic that we should all give a chance to at least once in our lives. And although I admit that the film directed by Joe Dante and produced by Steven Spielberg does not seem to me to be a masterpiece, it is easy to understand why it became an icon of popular culture since the 80s, capable of coexisting with giants such as Back to the Future, Home Alone or E.T.

The key? A simple and effective premise, where we follow the proliferation of creatures known as mogwai, which cannot be wet, cannot be fed after 12 and cannot have contact with sunlight.

Source

Not only does Gremlins take us on an entertaining (and surprisingly terrifying) journey, but it's also technically commendable, especially when it comes to how impressive the creatures known as mogwai are, both when they're in their friendly mode, and when they transform into monsters capable of creating unimaginable levels of chaos.
However, I must also admit that, despite its value in terms of special effects, there were a couple of moments where the film became slightly tedious, especially since the more "fun" moments take a while to arrive. At the same time, it's important to recognize that part of this could be due to the passing of time, and the fact that even without having seen it before today, its plot is already burned into my subconscious.

Like many classics of the era, Gremlins connects us to a time when everything was much simpler, and the standards of what was allowed (and what wasn't) in PG-13 cinema were very different from today, for this reason alone there is an undeniable historical value in its existence.

With all the good and bad, I think it's a great way to kick off the holiday season, and I consider it a solid addition to my annual tradition along with other gems like Klaus, Home Alone and why not? The Irishman.

Score taken from my Letterboxd account.