Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Adeel Hail Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Married Baby Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

beorhhouse This film hits us Americans where it hurts the most. We loved to believe that we had single-handedly saved the world from several kinds of fascism and that in doing so everybody had gotten financially comfortable. There was even enough--for a little while anyway--to give the pariah of our Caucasian society a taste of success... until they got too uppity. This brilliant film is an allegory of the American Dream, emphasis on gory. I believe this one went straight to video back in 1989, the year I first saw it, loved it, and hailed it as the masterpiece of paradigm lynching that it remains to this day. This film isn't leftist or conservative, religious or atheist, football or golf. Cannibals couldn't care less what philosophies their victims espouse. It's all about power and self-satisfaction--and removing anyone who has even the smallest concern regarding the well-being of the children involved. And, on top of all that, the genius insanity of Randy Quaid shines like nobody's business, and is flawlessly joined with the classic Post-War Dream housewife character created by Mary Beth Hurt and the bumbling, mumbling, stumbling brilliance of Sandy Dennis.

Michael_Elliott Parents (1989) *** (out of 4)Michael (Bryan Madorsky) moves to a new town with his parents (Randy Quaid, Mary Beth Hurt) and before long he starts to notice that there's something not quite right with them. The more Michael starts to understand the more he begins to think that his parents are cannibals.PARENTS is a film that I saw in my local VHS store countless times growing up but I never bothered to rent it. It was on cable countless times I again I never got around to watching it. I got the DVD but never watched it. Finally, nearly thirty-years after it was made, I finally watched the movie and I must admit that I'm disappointed in myself for not watching it earlier. If you're looking for a masterpiece horror film then this obviously isn't one but if you're looking for something a bit different then you should enjoy what this offers.What I liked the most about this film is the fact that it was set in the 1950s and it reminded me a lot of the films from that era. The main theme is that the kid finds his parents to be weird, which is something that a lot of kids think about their parents. I thought this film perfectly captured that sense of a kid's fears quite nicely and best of all is that the film reminded me of those in the 50's that dealt with the same thing. INVADERS FROM MARS certainly comes to mind but there were others as well.This film really benefits from some very good performances by everyone in the cast but especially the three leads. Quaid and Hurt are both fantastic as the parents as they perfectly play up the weirdness of the couple without having to go over-the-top or resort to any type of camp. Their performances are very realistic and I enjoyed the nature of both. Madorsky was a real find as he's excellent here and in all reality he actually carries the picture. I thought he was a lot of fun as was Sandy Dennis and London Juno.Director Bob Balaban does a very good job with the material and he keeps the film moving at a nice pace. There's a mix of horror and comedy here but one is never stronger than the other and this style and atmosphere is certainly a lot different than what most horror films from this period were delivering. Fans of non-stop blood baths might be disappointed but those who enjoy a more offbeat film should enjoy PARENTS.

gavin6942 Michael Laemle (Brian Madorsky) is a young boy living in a typical 1950s suburbanite home... except for his bizarre and horrific nightmares, and continued unease around his parents.This film is well made, well acted and is a fun (yet creepy) idea. The only problem is that the game is given away from the very beginning. The "secret" of Michael's parents is known before the film even starts if you read the summary on Netflix. And then, where do you go with it?Clearly, the writer did not know where to take it, because it never really goes anywhere. There are an endless series of strange scenes, but no real plot or story arc. I like watching Randy Quaid be weird for 90 minutes, but I also like knowing there is going to be a beginning and an end... here, we never really know where it is going and that just makes it hard to watch.

Aaron1375 When my parents rented this movie, I was expecting a very funny movie as Randy Quaid is very funny in comedy movies. However, this movie is not all that funny and it is somewhat boring too. You can see the surprise coming a mile away and it runs long for a movie that is supposedly only eighty one minutes long. So I can honestly say it is not a movie that is on my favorites list. It may work for some people, but it just did not work with me at all proving to be rather slow in the build-up with virtually nothing that amused me within the entire movie. Randy Quaid is wasted and the rest of the cast is a list of very bland actors and actresses. The premise of the movie had potential, as did the casting of Quaid, but all of it just sputters and the inclusion of the horror element just seems very unnecessary. Granted, the one dream sequence the kid had when he jumped on the bed and it suddenly became a whirlpool of blood was very nicely done and would have worked very well in a movie that was supposed to be pure horror, instead of one that lists comedy as its first genre.