Movie · 1986 · Horror, Comedy · 1h 34m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 8.1/10 (350.2K ratings)
A singing plant. A daring hero. A sweet girl. A demented dentist. It's the most outrageous musical comedy in years.
Overview
Seymour Krelborn is a nerdy orphan working at Mushnik's; a flower shop in urban Skid Row. He harbors a crush on fellow co-worker, Audrey Fulquard, and is berated by Mr. Mushnik daily. One day, Seymour finds a very mysterious unidentified plant which he calls Audrey II. The plant seems to have a craving for blood and soon begins to sing for it’s supper.
Ratings
Curator score: 8.1/10
IMDb: 7.1/10
Letterboxd: 3.89/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Metacritic: 81
TMDB: 7.0/10
Director
Frank Oz
Production
Geffen Pictures
Cast
Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, Levi Stubbs, Steve Martin, Tichina Arnold, Michelle Weeks, Tisha Campbell, Jim Belushi, John Candy, Christopher Guest, Bill Murray, Stan Jones, Bertice Reading, Ed Wiley, Alan Tilvern, John Scott Martin, Vincent Wong, Mak Wilson, Danny Cunningham
Curator Review
Verdict
A gleefully unhinged horror-comedy musical with standout puppetry, catchy songs, and a deliciously sleazy sense of camp. It works best as a showcase for practical effects, comic performances, and a mean streak that keeps the sweetness from getting too safe.
Best for
fans of campy musicals
viewers who like horror-comedy
practical-effects enthusiasts
people who enjoy darkly funny cult films
audiences open to theatrical, over-the-top performances
Skip if
you dislike camp or broad comedy
you want straight horror with real scares
musicals are a hard no
you prefer subtle character drama
you are put off by cartoonish violence and cruelty
Overview
Little Shop of Horrors is one of those rare movie musicals that feels mischievous from the first scene and only gets more delightfully wrong-headed as it goes. The story is simple, but the execution is all personality: a timid clerk, a doomed romance, and a carnivorous plant that turns greed into a singalong punchline. It’s funny, nasty, and weirdly sweet all at once.
Worth noting
What really sells it is the craft. The puppetry and effects give Audrey II a physical presence that makes the whole movie feel alive, and the supporting performances lean into the material with total commitment. Steve Martin’s dentist is a comic highlight, but the film’s real pleasure is how confidently it commits to its own absurdity.
Bottom line
It’s not for viewers who need restraint or realism. Songs are cut, the tone is aggressively campy, and the whole thing thrives on exaggeration. But if you want a cult musical that’s playful, macabre, and endlessly rewatchable, this is an easy recommendation.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Holly-Beth (5★) · 9076 likes
this was fuckin wild... i can't believe i just watched steve martin fuck bill murray on a dentist's chair
five stars
♡megan♡ (5★) · 5961 likes
Was Bill Murray’s small role as a masochist with a dentist kink necessary in this movie? No. Am I glad it was included? Yes.
vi (5★) · 5137 likes
i've seen this movie more times than i've seen my own father
shannon (4.5★) · 3636 likes
fuck this movie for making me think rick moranis is attractive