Critters (1986)

Critters (1986) is an American science fiction comedy horror film directed by Stephen Herek in his directorial debut. On an asteroid prison, a group of dangerous aliens known as Krites plan an escape and hijack a ship, prompting the warden to enlist two shape-changing bounty hunters, Ug and Lee. The duo’s mission: track the Krites to Earth. Using satellite television transmissions to study life on Earth, Ug takes on the form of rock star Johnny Steele. Meanwhile, Lee remains undecided and keeps his blank, featureless head. In rural Kansas, the Brown family gathers for breakfast as they send off teenage daughter April and younger son Brad to school. Overseeing this morning routine are parents Jay and Helen while they wait for mechanic Charlie McFadden. Once a talented baseball pitcher, Charlie has since become known as the town drunk and believes he has been abducted by aliens based on messages received through his dental fillings.

That evening, Brad happens to overhear the Krites’ stolen ship crash-landing. Curious, he invites Jay to join him in investigating. While on their mission, the Krites come across a local police officer and feed on him before taking his car as their mode of transportation. Soon after, the creatures target the farm and cut off its power supply. In an attempt to fix the electrical issue, Jay is unexpectedly attacked by one of the Critters but manages to narrowly escape despite sustaining severe injuries. Meanwhile, April and her boyfriend Steve are enjoying some time together in the barn when tragedy strikes and Steve falls victim to one of the Krites. Fortunately, Brad’s clever use of firecrackers proves deadly for one of the creatures.