Synopsis
Charley Brewster, a high school student, accidentally discovers the true and creepy nature of Jerry Dandrige, his dashing and enigmatic new neighbor; but no one seems willing to believe him.
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Cast
- Chris SarandonJerry Dandrige
- William RagsdaleCharley Brewster
- Amanda BearseAmy Peterson
- Roddy McDowallPeter Vincent
- Stephen GeoffreysEvil Ed
- Jonathan StarkBilly Cole
- Dorothy FieldingJudy Brewster
- Art EvansDetective Lennox
- Stewart SternCook
- Nick SavageBouncer #1
Recommendations
- 88
Slant Magazine
What makes Fright Night such a hoot to this day, on top of the great performances, is the deft blending of humor and suspense that Holland manages to build in his story. - 75
Christian Science Monitor
Directed by Tom Holland, who serves up the oldest horror-yarn clich'es with a straight face, keeping the action good-natured and even humorous until the gory climax. - 75
TV Guide Magazine
A minor classic of the genre, this is a memorable addition to the vampire tradition in the horror film. - 75
Chicago Sun-Times
Fright Night is not a distinguished movie, but it has a lot of fun being undistinguished. - 70
Variety
Director Tom Holland keeps the picture wonderfully simple and entirely believable (once the existence of vampires is accepted, of course). - 70
Time Out
A farrago of cartoonish exaggeration (mouthfuls of fangs, razor-sharp talons and eyes like burning coals), knowing humour and '80s camp, it shouldn't even begin to work, and yet, strangely, it does, sort of, thanks to the assured handling of writer/director Holland, and two performances in particular - Geoffreys as Charley's pal Evil, and McDowall as the timid vampire killer. - 63
Miami Herald
The movie is bloody and gruesome and quite harmless, just the way they made them "in the good old days." [02 Aug 1985, p.C7] - 60
The New York Times
Though Mr. Holland's handling of his stars is successful enough to establish him as a newcomer with promise, his material here is uneven and often flat.
