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Trailer

Piranha

1978Movie1 h 34 minR

Horror
64
DecentGoodWatch score
IMDb5.9Letterboxd2.9/5Metacritic716.0Rotten Tomatoes72%53%

A terrifying, tense horror movie about everyday modern life and the mind.

Good for friends night · pure escapism · adults

Skip it if graphic violence bothers you · you scare easily

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for warmth, comfort or laughs.

Movies with

Story

A hideous death lurked unseen in the river...

When flesh-eating piranhas are accidentally released into a summer resort's rivers, the guests become their next meal.

Feels like

  • Creature Feature Horror
  • B-Movie Thrills
  • Summer Camp Carnage
  • Aquatic Horror
  • Piranha Attack
  • Gory Effects
  • Exploitation Film
  • 1970s Horror

Cast

20 of 20

Crew

Directed by
Joe Dante
Written by
John Sayles, Richard Robinson
Produced by
Jon Davison
Music by
Pino Donaggio

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

August 3, 1978 · 1 h 34 min · R

Released
August 3, 1978
Runtime
1 h 34 min
Age rating
R
Content
Violence, Disturbing Imagery
Genres
Horror
Original language
English
Made in
United States
Budget
$660,000
Box office
$16 million
Available in
80 countries

Tropes

The End... Or Is It?, Too Dumb to Live, Film at 11 +9

  • The End... Or Is It?
  • Too Dumb to Live
  • Film at 11
  • Gender Flip
  • Death of a Child
  • Animal Motifs
  • Pyrrhic Victory
  • The So-Called Coward
  • General Ripper
  • Heroic Sacrifice
  • Unabashed B-Movie Fan
  • Genetic Engineering Is the New Nuke

12 of 62 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

5 questions, like "Where can I stream Piranha?"

Questions about Piranha

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Piranha?

PrimefuboTVPeacockPhiloAMC+The RokuKanopyHoopla

In the United States, Piranha streams on Prime, fuboTV, Peacock, Philo, and AMC+, and it is free with ads on The Roku, Kanopy, Hoopla, Fandango at Home Free, Pluto TV, Shout! Factory TV, Plex, Fawesome, and Tubi TV. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 29 other countries.

Is Piranha worth watching?

64
DecentGoodWatch score

Opinions are mixed, with a GoodWatch score of 64 (IMDb 5.9, Letterboxd 2.9 out of 5, Rotten Tomatoes 72%, and Metacritic 71). Critics rate it higher (72 out of 100) than audiences (58).

Is there a sequel to Piranha?

  1. Piranha (1978)
  2. Piranha II: The Spawning (1982)

Yes: it's movie 1 of 2 in its series, followed by Piranha II: The Spawning (1982).

Will Piranha scare me?

Not scaryTerrifying

Yes, it's frightening: scares are rated 9 of 10.

What tropes does Piranha use?

The End... Or Is It?Too Dumb to LiveFilm at 11Gender FlipDeath of a ChildAnimal MotifsPyrrhic VictoryThe So-Called CowardGeneral RipperHeroic SacrificeUnabashed B-Movie FanGenetic Engineering Is the New Nukeand 50 more

TV Tropes lists 62 tropes for it, including The End... Or Is It?, Too Dumb to Live, and Film at 11.