Piranha
Seen it?1978 | 94 min | Horror
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (72% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it made about 24 times its budget, though it had a lukewarm 6.0 out of 10 from audiences. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for horror fans. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Scary.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 34 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- Made in 1978: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
When flesh-eating piranhas are accidentally released into a summer resort's rivers, the guests become their next meal.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
72% on Rotten Tomatoes, 71 on Metacritic
- AudiencesBelow par
6.0 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$16 million worldwide on a $660K budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 125K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Joe Dante
- Bradford DillmanPaul Grogan
- Heather MenziesMaggie McKeown
- Kevin McCarthyDr. Robert Hoak
- Keenan WynnJack
- Dick MillerBuck Gardner
- Barbara SteeleDr. Mengers
- Belinda BalaskiBetsy
- Melody Thomas ScottLaura Dickinson
- Bruce GordonColonel Waxman
- Barry BrownTrooper