Alligator

Name: Alligator
Duration: 1 h 31 min

1hr 31m

1hr 31m
3.2/5 (10.5K)
83%
62

A pet baby alligator is flushed down a toilet and survives in the city sewers. Twelve years later, it grows to an enormous size thanks to a diet of discarded… More Details »

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Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Lewis Teague

Producer:

Brandon Chase, Mark L. Rosen

Writer:

John Sayles, Frank Ray Perilli

Release Date:

Jan 1, 1980

Runtime:

1hr 31m

Synopsis

A pet baby alligator is flushed down a toilet and survives in the city sewers. Twelve years later, it grows to an enormous size thanks to a diet of discarded laboratory dogs injected with growth hormones. Now, humans have entered the menu.

Cast

Robert Forster
Robin Riker
Michael V. Gazzo
Dean Jagger
Sydney Lassick
Jack Carter
Perry Lang
Henry Silva
Bart Braverman
John Lisbon Wood

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.2

RATINGS 26 FANS

3.2

Mar 21, 2021

Don’t we all feel like Ramón sometimes? Like a massive reptile with abandonment issues hooked on growth hormones and the taste of cop flesh.

634 Likes

CinemaVoid 🏴‍☠️

Mar 8, 2022

80 Bless Scream Factory for releasing this fabulous creature feature on shiny 4K. Far from typical SYFY-channel ironic garbage, this Robert Forster vehicle is just as much of a social critique of city corruption as it is a blast of an animal slasher. The story? A baby…

459 Likes

SilentDawn

Aug 4, 2019

This John Sayles penned ‘maniac gator bent on destroying everything in its wake’ screenplay is an absolute delight—I love this movie and the Robert Forster improvised receeding hairline jokes kill me every time. Lots to love here—great dialogue, Sydney Lassick, urban legend…

411 Likes

Ian West
Jul 4, 2023

“Anybody younger than me is a kid.” Robert Forster, always elevating the material.

404 Likes

Sean Fennessey

Oct 14, 2025

Rotten Tomatoes: 84% Metacritic Metascore: 62 IMDB: 6.1 81/100 Spooktober 2025 Detective Madison: "I'm a cop, I don't know a damn thing about alligators." Lewis Teague's creature feature is exactly what you want from a Jaws knockoff—smart, self-aware, and nasty enough…

331 Likes

@Mr. Like

Feb 23, 2022

Sure, those kids just “accidentally” tossed their friend into the pool with the giant alligator. It’s the perfect crime.

314 Likes

Bryan Espitia
Aug 16, 2020

"You know what Freud says about being a cop?" "What's he say?" "He says the police want to punish society for their own illicit desires." "That guy never did a Kamikaze shift in East St. Louis." The rumors are all true, they've been getting bigger and bigger down…

288 Likes

matt lynch

started out thinking ok its like piranha but no way its gonna be as good as piranha, but its actually better than piranha, maybe the best collection of guys in any movie.

228 Likes

pd187

Aug 1, 2021

I have now seen about a dozen of these Jawsploitation movies so I can confidentiality say that Alligator really is one of the best ones out there. It delivers on the alligator action while also adding enough little elements to make it more enjoyable. It has an entertaining…

217 Likes

Lou (rhymes with wow!)

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Queue Community Reviews

83%

Community 111

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17%

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Top Reviews

Alex Liddell loved

Alligator

One of my favourite movies growing up. The sewer scene gave me nightmares. May have aged over the last 40years but I’d watch it anytime

3Y

Erika Leigh Kuhl loved

Alligator

Funny campy but yet surprisingly self aware and smart. Fun times ahead with great dialogue and unique line delivery.

11M

Craig Stewart liked

Alligator

Really good for what it is

1Y
The Horrornomicon disliked

Alligator

Absolutely awful

3Y