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Randy Quaid, Mary Beth Hurt, Sandy Dennis, Bryan Madorsky, Juno Mills-Cockell ... see more see more... , Kathryn Grody , Deborah Rush , Graham Jarvis , Mariah Balaban , Uriel Byfield , Helen Carscallen , Larry Palef , Wayne Robson , Warren Van Evera , London Juno , Brian Madorsky

In this bizarre and very black comedy set in 1950s suburbia, Michael Laemle (Bryan Madorsky) comes to suspect that his conventional parents (Randy Quaid and Mary Beth Hurt) have a little secret which ... read more read more...they have kept from him. Nothing too major - - just that they happen to be cannibals. It seems that Dad has been bringing home some extra meat from his place of work, a mortuary. As the lad grows ever more hysterical, he confesses his suspicions to the school psychologist (Sandy Dennis). She ridicules his notions and even comes to the house to show him how foolish he's being. Instead, she becomes an entree in the next family dinner, as Michael's parents attempt to indoctrinate him into their odd lifestyle. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Flixster Users

52% liked it

4,099 ratings

Critics

50% liked it

12 critics

R, 1 hr. 21 min.

Directed by: Bob Balaban

Release Date: January 1, 2000

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DVD Release Date: May 25, 1999

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Flixster Reviews (252)

  • phubbs1
    February 11, 2012
    phubbs1
    Quirky little number this, first time I have seen it and I quite liked it :) Came across as a 'Little Shop of Horror's' black gallows humour type of film to me with a slight sprinkle of tension.

    Its an odd one for sure, Randy Quaid is perfect as 'Dad' with that eerie joker-ish s... read moremile of his, Mary Beth Hurt accompanies Quaid well as 'Mum' to make a great kooky couple. The various scenes of eating dinner with close ups of the meat really does make you uncomfortable and your mind swings from judgement to judgement on wether little 'Michael Laemle's' parnets really are serving up human flesh for tea hehe.

    Personally I could never really make up my mind if the whole thing was a dream or just a little boys crazy imagination, the film plays out quite surreal which keeps you guessing. Being set in the 50's really adds that kind of bizarre yet fun twist to it, almost impossible to think such things could happen in a perfect all American home in the happy 50's. The cute sitcom like soundtrack adds zing, makes the whole thing out to be almost silly, light hearted or even a kids film, truth be told the film gets darker and darker as it goes on yet your never really scared, more intrigued and curious.

    A real cult oddity which works due to the brilliant performances of all the cast members.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    July 12, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Parents is a very interesting idea for a horror film. The concept behind this film is very cool. A kid suspects his Parents to be cannibals after he notices big cuts of beef every night for supper on the table. Parents is a blend of Black Comedy and Horror, but after watching thi... read mores I would lean more towards horror. There are a few funny parts, but it's more horrifying than anything else. What I loved about the film was that it had the look of a family sitcom and the soundtrack was practically a sitcom theme. The film looked great, and was well done. Randy Quaid was solid in his performance and so was Mary Beth Hurt. After viewing Parents, I thought it was a very underrated gem. The thing that I love the most about this film is the concept behind the plot. I thought that idea of cannibalistic parents was a fairly good idea for film. After watching it, I realized how much this film is underrated. Sure, I can understand why the film may not appeal to everyone due to it's plot. But for the horror diehard, Parents is a terrific horror film that delivers good horror and a good story. Parents shouldn't be dismissed and will appeal to horror fans who enjoy something different. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and I don't see why this film has gotten the flack it has received, a thoroughly engaging and morbidly fun horror film.
  • ajv2688
    April 10, 2011
    ajv2688
    Wow, what a cool movie. I loved it, it's nostalgic, creepy, atmospheric, and well written. All the actors do a good job, even the boy who's the main character. I highly recommend this movie.
  • YosemiteSamFan
    July 5, 2009
    YosemiteSamFan
    Creepy low-budget 80's comedy horror whose intended message sorta went over my head. It's awkward viewing and not too exciting.
  • Stinger839
    June 16, 2009
    Stinger839
    This is available for free viewing on Hulu.com.

    The acting is the clear winner of this flick, with set decoration coming in close second. And unlike most modern horror, this film has a plot that includes characters we the audience have a stake in. I viewed this with my best frie... read morend who said this during the screening, "Why don't they make movies like this anymore? Movies where you actually care about the characters and want to know what happens?" And it's quite true - this movie is not the most complicated of stories, but we DO care about what happens to this kid and to know what his parents are really up to.

    This is a fun family horror-comedy, with a really cool final act.
  • DrBenway
    May 20, 2008
    DrBenway
    Where does the meat come from? While it's funny as hell, Parents also plays on a number of childhood fears, and Balaban's direction, combined with Angelo Badalamenti's moody score, make this a fun, creepy, twisted tale of life in the suburbs circa 1954.
    ... read moretobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view¤t=parents.jpg" target="_blank">Photobucket
  • fb100000185301014
    April 19, 2012
    fb100000185301014
    It's not so bad consider it's a low budget satire film about the 50s suburbia, where a family holds a dark secret. I love the camera angles and the different scenes. It was an effective black comedy, however a bit too dark at times. The campiness and cliche really helped with bri... read morenging out the comic elements.
  • DrLappos
    April 1, 2008
    DrLappos
    Omg what a classic. One of the weird late eighties slasher family oddball movies. You gotta see it,.
  • fb677587177
    January 13, 2012
    fb677587177
    It's too bad this falls apart and starts to drag in the second half, because the first half is fabulous. I love the combination of horror and dark comedy, and this is a good example of it until it just wanders off into left field and stops having much of a point. It's worth seein... read moreg, I just wish it had stayed as entertaining as it was when it first started.
  • mikelclayton
    January 8, 2012
    mikelclayton
    A pretty schizophrenic film as it seems to bounce between the trappings of black comedy and the stylistics of 50's Americana, alternately deciding which to place a greater emphasis upon, but the overall effect is undeniably entertaining. Randy Quaid and Mary Beth Hurt both give ... read morescenery-chewing performances as the parents and yes, their performances are gleefully over-the-top, kabuki performances. For a black comedy, its not uproariously funny, but its pretty amusing for the duration of its length, and dare I say the film never invokes a feeling of boredom. The child actors are clearly not as polished in their roles as the two lead adults, but they do admirably considering their age. The drastic shift in tone that the film repeatedly has is a little jarring, and at times it feels this hurt the film somewhat. Still, it feels like a fresh concept in the black comedy genre in many ways, and the bizarre commentary on child abuse and pre-adolescent sexuality has a little more depth than one would expect. Plus this is surprisingly well shot for this type of film.

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Critic Reviews

Douglas Pratt
June 15, 2007
Douglas Pratt, DVDLaser

the movie is an intense comedy about psychological abuse that will repulse as many viewers as it pleases. The only reaction it will likely not instill is nonchalance.

Ken Hanke
March 29, 2004
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Pretty clever thriller that's about half as smart as it thinks it is.

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Caryn James
May 20, 2003
Caryn James, New York Times

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Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

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Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

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Hal Hinson
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson, Washington Post

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Jonathan Rosenbaum
January 27, 1989
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Click to read the article Full Review

Michael Szymanski
October 15, 2005
Michael Szymanski, Wordmag.com

No review available.

Emanuel Levy
October 1, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

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