Creature features have a long history in Hollywood, but only a few ever really achieve notoriety over the years. For every Jaws, there's a Devil Fish or a Nightwing. Spiders have had their fair share of film villainy, alongside sharks, gators, and other, smaller creepy-crawlies. But few silver screen arachnid nightmares have been as successful as Arachnophobia.
Ross Jennings (Jeff Daniels) has moved his family to the country in order to get a fresh start as the local family physician, and to escape the assumed craziness of urban life. Not only are his plans hampered by his primary contact in the small town, some of the residents are skeptical of his expertise, and to top it off, random folks are starting to drop dead. One of the film's charms is the cast of talented character actors alongside the recognizable faces of Jeff Daniels and John Goodman (playing the local exterminator Delbert McClintock). Stuart Pankin, Brian McNamara, Peter Jason, and Roy Brocksmith all shine in smaller parts, while Julian Sands fills the 'Quint' role of spider expert/scientist James Atherton, and Harley Jane Kozak as Molly Jennings provides a kind, level-headed counterpoint to her husband's anxiety around spiders.
The filmmakers are on record as having hoped to create a rollercoaster feel with the film, emphasizing both scares and a few laughs. While the movie isn't uproarious, it's scary in a fun way, and some comic relief is provided by the script here and there, as well as John Goodman's character, who thankfully doesn't wear out his welcome. But the primary reason the film is still effective comes down to the effects; real spiders were used in most of the shots. The decision to minimize in-house creature effects gives the admittedly outlandish plot a tangible sense of realism. One small area in which the film was unsuccessful was its attempt to jumpstart the "thrill-omedy" descriptor...it didn't catch on. Whether you intentionally avoided it the first time, have completely forgotten about it, or just need something not-too-scary for October, you should give this early 90's classic a watch.
