Kids vs. Monsters
Tedious, awful horror-comedy for kids is unwatchable.
Kids vs. Monsters
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Kids Vs. Monsters is a dull, uninspired film about a group of self-absorbed, narcissistic, wealthy parents who send their equally self-absorbed, narcissistic kids to a house be murdered by monsters. The characters are caricatures, the violence and monsters are fake-looking, and the plot involves an incredible amount of sitting around and talking about the monsters and their backstories, and it has very little action. Some profanity ("hairy ass") and name-calling.
Community Reviews
Terrible movie -- too ridiculous for teens, too violent for younger kids
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What's the Story?
Fed up with their entitled, spoiled offspring, a team of rich parents decides to team up with evil and send their kids to a house where they will be killed off by one monster after another.
Is It Any Good?
It's meant to be satire poking at teens today -- from the social media-obsessed to the goth to the obese to the overachievers -- but it's not clear what the point of this exercise in dullness is. The film spends a long time setting us up to loathe these teenagers -- and loathe their rich, self-important, evil parents just as much. So by the time the kids are sent off to be murdered by monsters that look about as well crafted as any B-movie flick from the early 1980s, it's hard to tell who the joke is on -- them, or us.
The film ultimately finds these teens working together to save themselves, which arguably gives it a tiny bit of merit, but the lifeless plot, tedious dialogue, and bizarre route to get there -- one monster is a man with a giant beet for a head -- will leave you wondering if this was a film student's idea of a very good joke. Jury is still out.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about stereotyping. Are these stereotypes of teens accurate? Why, or why not?
Why does Kids Vs. Monsters fail so spectacularly as a horror movie for kids? How would you improve it?
How might this movie have succeeded as a commentary on teens today?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: October 1, 2015
- Cast: Lance Henriksen, Malcolm McDowell
- Director: Sultan Saeed Al Darmaki
- Studio: Marvista
- Genre: Horror
- Topics: High School, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Run time: 101 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: April 1, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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ParaNorman
Cool-but-creepy monster flick is too scary for little kids.
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Ghostbusters
Paranormal '80s classic has some scares, innuendo.
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Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
Magical, with scares most 10-year-olds can handle.
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Arachnophobia
Creepy/clever creature feature with touches of humor.
For kids who love scares
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