Critters

Critters (1986) is a horror comedy from director Stephen Herek, and you can watch online on iFILM. Something furry, hungry and merciless drops out of the sky onto the Brown family farm in rural Kansas.

The Crites are spiky alien furballs that broke out of an outer-space prison. They roll into balls, fire poison quills and devour anything with a pulse. On their tail come two shapeshifting bounty hunters who can borrow any face they like. Standing in the way is one ordinary farm family and a local kid, Brad, the only one who believes the monsters are real. Dee Wallace of E.T. co-stars, alongside a very young Billy Zane.

It often gets filed as a Gremlins knockoff, but it has its own bite: more sarcasm, less sugar, and terrific puppet work from the Chiodo Brothers. It kicked off a four-film franchise. A perfect pick for a retro creature-feature night, scary just enough to keep you laughing. Stream Critters (1986) online on iFILM.