It's Alive (1974)

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Videos & Photos

  • Official Trailer

Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Larry Cohen

Release Date:

Oct 16, 1974

Runtime:

1hr 31m

Synopsis

The Davises are expecting a baby, which turns out to be a monster with a nasty habit of killing people whenever it is scared. And it is easily scared.

Cast

  • John P. Ryan
  • Sharon Farrell
  • Andrew Duggan
  • Guy Stockwell
  • James Dixon
  • Michael Ansara
  • Robert Emhardt
  • William Wellman Jr.
  • Shamus Locke
  • Nancy Burnett

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.2
21.5K
12.8K
4.6K
RATINGS 7 FANS
3.2
  • Oct 2, 2021

    Spooktober II: To Hell With the 80s Unless you have seen the trailer for the film or someone has told you about it, it is impossible to know what this film is about. It all appears to indicate that it's a creature film, and to a certain extent, it is, but it's also not. In…

    153 Likes
    Rafael "Mister Movie" Jovine
    Rafael "Mister Movie" Jovine
    May 12, 2023

    One must not allow oneself to be impressed by escapist fiction. I went into this film with limited prior knowledge of it. I was anticipating an ultra-campy movie about a malevolent infant committing an array of random slayings. Instead, I was presented with a film so…

    141 Likes
    𝔏𝕚𝕫𝕫𝕪 ѕαℓ𝔱 🌹 🥀
    𝔏𝕚𝕫𝕫𝕪 ѕαℓ𝔱 🌹 🥀
    Mar 24, 2019

    Goodbye, Larry.  <3

    130 Likes
    Ian West
    Ian West
  •
    Mar 30, 2019

    Maybe boosted by Larry Cohen's recent departure, but good lawd this is such a smart movie. As with all of his work it does a nifty tightrope walk with schlock on one side and pretension on the other. Most movies would focus on the immediate, visceral danger of there being a…

    114 Likes
    laird
    laird
    Sep 18, 2022

    What an absolute banger of a film! I can’t believe I’ve never watched this or the sequels before. I mean I know a person can’t watch everything, but damn if I don’t try. I think maybe I always passed over this because I mixed it up with the Basket Case series which has a…

    111 Likes
    Tony the Terror
    Tony the Terror
    Jul 6, 2026

    Of course Larry Cohen would have a scene where the police point their revolvers at an innocent baby just sitting outside minding his own business.

    73 Likes
    Jesse
    Jesse
  •
    Oct 29, 2023

    remarkably socially and politically conscious for a movie that is, at its basest logline, about a killer mutant baby on the run -- unsurprising when you consider that this is from Larry Cohen, one of the smartest exploitation filmmakers to ever hoodwink an audience into one…

    101 Likes
    Justin LaLiberty
    Justin LaLiberty
    Oct 26, 2022

    A pretty goofy premise but something about Larry Cohen that imbues his films with nice story structures that capture all the angles of thought provoking questions to let you ruminate with it. Sure it doesn't have the greatest of looks and you can tell he is a run and gun…

    97 Likes
    pirateneckbeard
    pirateneckbeard
    May 1, 2025

    actually, it’s dead

    82 Likes
    theo
    theo
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Queue Community Reviews

76%
Community 119
❤️ LOVE
4%
👍 LIKE
72%
😐 MEH
20%
👎 DISLIKE
4%
Top Reviews
  • Khris
    Khris liked
    It's Alive

    Honestly don’t know to feel but it’s not bad it’s like a classical horror movie, it kind of reminded me of the gremlins just a bit. It is a lil creepy but nothing to be petrified about.

    2Y
    mason williams
    mason williams liked
    It's Alive

    I love the mom and dad in this movie. I also like that the dad smoked approximately 130 cigarettes during the course of this movie.

    4M
    Vix Skeling
    Vix Skeling disliked
    It's Alive

    Couldn't be bothered to finish watching it from how boring it was. ):

    2Y
  • Redheart
    Redheart liked
    It's Alive

    I got a good laugh out of this one

    2Y
    South Philly Dilly Dilly Jawn
    South Philly Dilly Dilly Jawn liked
    It's Alive

    Creepy!

    2Y
View More Popular It's Alive Reviews on Queue

Atom Users Reviews

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Metacritic

72
metacritic
Based on 6 Critics
5.8

USER SCORE (5)

Mixed or average reviews based on 5 Reviews
80

Compelling 1970s take on the monster horror genre which remains fresh and hugely watchable.

View full review
Metacritic review by Kim Newman
Kim Newman
Empire
See All Critic Reviews on Metacritic.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It's Alive (1974) (1974) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as R, meaning that Under 17 requires an adult accompaniment.
How long is It's Alive (1974) (1974)?
The movie is 1hr 31min long.
What's It's Alive (1974) (1974) about?
The Davises are expecting a baby, which turns out to be a monster with a nasty habit of killing people whenever it is scared. And it is easily scared.
Who's the cast of It's Alive (1974) (1974)?
  • John P. Ryan as Frank
  • Sharon Farrell as Lenore
  • Andrew Duggan as The Professor
  • Guy Stockwell as Bob Clayton
  • James Dixon as Lt. Perkins
  • Michael Ansara as The Captain
  • Robert Emhardt as The Executive
  • William Wellman Jr. as Charley
  • Shamus Locke as The Doctor
  • Nancy Burnett as Nurse
Who's the director behind It's Alive (1974) (1974)?
Larry Cohen directed It's Alive (1974) (1974).