Horror Movie Review: Tremors (1990)

In Perfection, Nevada something is wrong. Very wrong.

Val (Kevin Bacon) and Earl (Fred Ward) are a pair of handymen sick of their lives so make the decision to leave the small community for the big city. Unfortunately, they left it a little to late as they come across a series of dead bodies and very strange events.

They find a station wagon buried under the ground, a severed head and the road out has been blocked by a landslide. They suspect a serial killer but it’s far worse then that. There is something under the ground in Perfection and it is hungry.

Tremors is a wonderful mix of classic monster movies and B-movie horror. Its appeal comes from the top cast and impressive effects. As the leads, Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward are very likeable and convincing as uneasy heroes. They play of each other brilliantly and are backed up by a varied and well-acted cast even when there are a few cheesy lines of dialogue to spit out.

It’s no easy task to make subterranean monsters that hunt with sound a convincing villain but here these creatures are very deadly. It helps that Perfection is so isolated and the cinematography shows that off perfectly. It’s a dry, hot and lonely place.

The film is paced perfectly. Building to the reveal in such a way that the shock felt by the actors is felt by the viewer. Early on we’re made aware that it’s something under the ground but what it is, no-one could have imagined. It really helps that the effects are so good and still hold up nearly 30 years later.

Tremors would be followed my many inferior sequels unfortunately but its cult following is deserved. It’s got the right blend of cheesiness and monster movie horror to make it an entertaining watch for just about anyone.

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