Watch Eight Legged Freaks
- PG-13
- 2002
- 1 hr 40 min
-
5.5 (60,931)
Eight Legged Freaks is an eccentric, hilarious horror-comedy directed by Ellory Elkayem and released in 2002. The film stars David Arquette, Kari Wuhrer, and Scott Terra, and was produced by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich. The story of Eight Legged Freaks takes place in the small town of Prosperity, Arizona. The town's mine is shut down, and as a result, the mine's toxic waste is improperly disposed of in a nearby lake. In the process, it mutates the resident spiders into grotesque, oversized monsters. The populace of Prosperity is then put in grave danger as the toxic spiders begin terrorizing the town.
David Arquette plays Chris McCormick, the protagonist of Eight Legged Freaks. Chris is a good-natured, somewhat bumbling character who returns to his hometown of Prosperity after being away for ten years. Chris has a strained relationship with his old flame, Sheriff Samantha Parker (Kari Wuhrer), who is less than pleased with his return. Samantha believes his arrival has to do with their past relationship, which she thinks he is looking to reignite.
Scott Terra plays Mike Parker, Samantha's son, who is interested in spiders and has an affinity for exotic and dangerous ones. When the toxic spiders begin to wreak havoc on Prosperity, Mike becomes critical to the town's survival. Throughout the film, Chris and Mike team up to protect the townspeople and defeat the monstrous spiders.
One of the most compelling things about Eight Legged Freaks is how it masterfully blends comedy, horror, and action. The film is chock-full of campy humor, thanks to the tongue-in-cheek performances of the cast. David Arquette delivers an outstanding performance as the hapless hero, and Kari Wuhrer is excellent as the tough-as-nails sheriff trying to protect her town. Scott Terra's performance as an arachnid enthusiast-turned-savior is also noteworthy. He brings a mixture of enthusiasm and determination to the role, making him a compelling character in his own right.
But Eight Legged Freaks's greatest strength lies in its humor. The film is genuinely funny, thanks to the numerous witty one-liners, non-sequiturs, and visual gags peppered throughout. It's also filled with winks to horror movie tropes, which only add to its charm.
For all its satire and humor, Eight Legged Freaks is also suspenseful and exciting. The film has several intense action sequences, including a thrilling chase scene through a mall and a climactic showdown at the mine. The spiders themselves are imposing, and the film does an excellent job of making them seem both realistic and terrifying.
Overall, Eight Legged Freaks is a joy to watch. It's a hilariously campy horror-comedy that pokes fun at the genre while still delivering genuine scares and thrills. The cast is terrific, the humor is on-point, and the spiders are horrifying. If you're looking for a movie that's equal parts funny and scary, Eight Legged Freaks is the perfect choice.
Eight Legged Freaks is a 2002 action movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 40 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.5 and a MetaScore of 53.