Life is very pleasant for the close-knit Freeling family until a host of otherworldly forces invades their peaceful suburban home. It starts with just an odd occurrence or two to the amusement of everyone, but soon their house is turned into a swirling supernatural sideshow. The forces at work are anything but friendly, and if the luckless Freelings don't clear out soon, they'll all be swept off into nightmarish chaos.
Where to Watch Poltergeist
- Desmond DaleJanuary 24, 2025I wish I had a time travel machine today appreciate just how scary it might have been when it came out, but in my opinion most of the special effects have aged like milk and the film doesn't have any sort of psychological depth or existential dread to make it worthwhile in other areas.
- Aaron SladeSeptember 4, 2026I watch this yearly. JoBeth was so smokin in this ! It is about as full on as you can get and still be PG.
- Colton LilleyNovember 8, 2025From walking thru its HHN house, this is a great thriller!
- Lord_TulkasAugust 29, 2025Classic 80's horror movie... with just the right touches of humor... the effects can be tough to watch today, but I think that, overall, it's a movie that withstands the pass of time... the movie is very dynamic, it's almost 2 hours long, but it doesn't feel like it... a very good Friday night selection to watch with friends...
- DANNYZUKO78October 11, 2025I LOVE THE DOG. I FEEL BAD FOR CAROL ANNE HER OLDER SISTER SHE WAS CRYING.
- Jay ShermanAugust 22, 2026Lowkey Spielberg movie and it’s obvious. Same feel as Goonies or any of his 80s films. Worth a rewatch or for the first time.
- Mark4d agoA classic Spielberg movie cleverly directed by Tobe Hooper.
- OdinTheRavenKingSeptember 23, 2026## Synopsis A family home becomes the hub of paranormal activity that includes a portal to the other side. The portal that should be used by the dead. ## Review Another classic that was great for the time, but feels weirdly comical or questionable today. The camera work is top notch, what do you expect with Steven Spielberg at the helm. However, the haunts for the most part have lost their edge. The cast was so good here. I think most people would be both scared and excited if kitchen chars started moving and that same force would pull you around. That second part might be where most but the completely open minded would draw the line. I really like Craig in this movie. A dad just trying to figure things out sounds right on par for what most would do. Where you lose me from a scary perspective is the very sign posted events. From the tree, the closet, and clown, you know all the major events that are supposed to jump at you. I will say, that even knowing the clown was going to do something, the misdirect for looking for it was good and I did jump when he made his move. One last thing that I think takes away from the horror for me. The music. It is this twinkle xylophone type music that I don't think matches the movie. I know it is the same person as Alien, but it just doesn't fit for me. ## [My Rating] Like I said, this movie was great for its time. The CGI of the ghost and the events in the room have aged, and not well. More like the guy in the bathroom. I do see a lot of tricks that are used in the future in movies like [[Paranormal Activity 2]] and [[The Sixth Sense]] in this and can appreciate the work that went into it at the time. Where you lose me the most is the jelly when the mom comes out. Why? The other stuff was covered in dirt. There was some good and some bad to this, but as a true movie, it is a 7. ## [Parental Rating] The kids get along and fight/worry for each other. I can’t imagine what my dad would do if something like this happened at our house. There are a couple scenes that involve drugs that my parents wouldn’t appreciate. However, the language is light and really there is no violence. I think we weirdly have an approved by both for this movie, but my mom would absolutely never watch it as it deals with ghost.
- Robert J ThompsonAugust 22, 2026It's a classic.
- Hughie JeanveauAugust 8, 2026A really good movie. Scared me as a child. Not so much as an adult but the story is good and still a creep factor. Really recommend watching the movie.
- PhysicalMedia4LifeJuly 25, 2026The debate has been going on for years whether Steven Spielberg put a lot more into this project than Tobe Hooper? And for that alone "Poltergeist has a very unique legacy going for it, unlike any other movie. As for the movie itself, for the most part it still holds up as do most of Spielbergs movies. The effects are still strong for the most part. From a production standpoint it's dated "Yes" but that's inevitable. It's fantastically shot and again in a very Steven Spielberg way. Tonaly the movie feels like it's more his film and is also one of the films biggest strengths; as Poltergeist perfectly balances itself into adventure & darkness, which very few directors could pull off, very reminiscent of what Spielberg did with Jaws as that film had that perfect balance & mix of adventure & dark moments throghout the whole movie. And for those reasons especially, it isn't even a debate anymore, who the true director of Poltergeist was. My Ratings & Scores for "Poltergeist" is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ & a 10/10
- Nyxus_January 31, 2026A classic for a reason... though some aspects of the movie have aged poorly. A lot of the acting was pretty hard to sit through.
- July 25, 2026For me Steven Spielbergs fingerprints are all over this film! "Poltergeist" feels, smells & looks like a Steven Spielberg film, it's very telling that Spielberg put a lot more into this project, than Hooper did a 💯 If your opinion is different from mine, let me know in the comments and we can discuss it. 👍✌️
Who Had More Creative Input: Tobe Hooper or Steven Spielberg?
Watch Poltergeist Videos
Get Plex on Your Devices
Free on 20+ platforms. Pick yours.Poltergeist Trivia
Poltergeist was released on June 4, 1982.
Poltergeist was directed by Tobe Hooper.
Poltergeist has a runtime of 1h 54m.
Poltergeist was produced by Frank Marshall, Steven Spielberg.
Life is very pleasant for the close-knit Freeling family until a host of otherworldly forces invades their peaceful suburban home. It starts with just an odd occurrence or two to the amusement of everyone, but soon their house is turned into a swirling supernatural sideshow. The forces at work are anything but friendly, and if the luckless Freelings don't clear out soon, they'll all be swept off into nightmarish chaos.
The key characters in Poltergeist are Diane Freeling (JoBeth Williams), Steve Freeling (Craig T. Nelson), Dr. Lesh (Beatrice Straight).
Poltergeist is rated PG.
Poltergeist is a Horror, Thriller film.
Poltergeist has an audience rating of 7.9 out of 10.
Poltergeist had a budget of $10.7M.
Poltergeist has made $121.7M at the box office.