Eight Legged Freaks
Performance & Direction: Eight Legged Freaks Review
Last updated: February 17, 2026
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is Eight Legged Freaks (2002) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a ABOVE AVERAGE with a verified audience rating of 5.8/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Action.
Cast Performances: A Masterclass
The success of any Action is often anchored by its ensemble, and Eight Legged Freaks features a noteworthy lineup led by David Arquette . Supported by the likes of Kari Wührer and Doug E. Doug , the performances bring a palpable realism to the scripted words.
Performance Analysis: While the cast delivers competent and professional performances, they are occasionally hampered by a script that leans into familiar archetypes.
Final Verdict: Is it Worth Watching?
Story & Plot Summary: Eight Legged Freaks
Quick Plot Summary: Released in 2002, Eight Legged Freaks is a Action, Comedy, Horror, Thriller film directed by Ellory Elkayem. The narrative delivers highly intense sequences and pulse-pounding confrontations that keep viewers on the edge of their seats. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict involving David Arquette.
Story Breakdown
In this high-octane feature, Ellory Elkayem establishes a narrative structure that follows a classic action blueprint: establishing the protagonist's world, introducing a formidable antagonist, and escalating the stakes. The residents of a rural mining town discover that an unfortunate chemical spill has caused hundreds of little spiders to mutate overnight to the size of SUVs. It's then up to mining engineer Chris McCormack and Sheriff Sam Parker to mobilize an eclectic group of townspeople, including the Sheriff's young son, Mike, her daughter, Ashley, and paranoid radio announcer Harlan, into battle against the bloodthirsty eight-legged beasts. The film balances spectacular set pieces with character moments for David Arquette, ensuring the action serves the story rather than overwhelming it.
Narrative Structure
- Opening Hook: The title opens with an explosive sequence that immediately establishes the stakes and introduces our protagonist in action.
- Character Arc: Character development is present but somewhat formulaic, following familiar patterns without adding fresh perspectives to the genre.
- Climax & Resolution: The final confrontation delivers on the buildup, with stakes at their highest and the protagonist using everything they've learned.
Ending Explained: Eight Legged Freaks
Ending Breakdown: Directed by Ellory Elkayem, Eight Legged Freaks attempts to tie together its various plot elements. The finale presents its approach to action resolution.
The final reveal recontextualizes earlier scenes involving David Arquette, offering viewers material for post-viewing discussion.
Ending Analysis:
- Narrative Resolution: The story concludes by addressing its primary narrative threads, providing closure while maintaining some ambiguity.
- Character Arcs: Character journeys reach their narrative endpoints, reflecting the film's thematic priorities.
- Thematic Payoff: The ending reinforces the action themes established throughout the runtime.
The final moments of Eight Legged Freaks reflect the filmmakers' creative choices, offering an ending that aligns with the film's tone and style.
Who Should Watch Eight Legged Freaks?
Consider Watching If:
- You're a completist for Action films
- You're curious despite mixed reviews
- You have low expectations and want casual entertainment
Box Office Collection: Eight Legged Freaks
| Metric / Region | Collection (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Production Budget | $30.0M |
| Worldwide Gross | $45.9M |
| Trade Verdict | FINANCIAL DISAPPOINTMENT |
Eight Legged Freaks Budget
The estimated production budget for Eight Legged Freaks is $30.0M. This figure covers principal photography, talent acquisitions, and visual effects. When accounting for global marketing and distribution, the break-even point is typically 2x the base production cost.
Top Cast: Eight Legged Freaks
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Where to Watch Eight Legged Freaks Online?
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Apple TV StoreEight Legged Freaks Parents Guide & Age Rating
2002 AdvisoryWondering about Eight Legged Freaks age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of Eight Legged Freaks is 99 minutes (1h 39m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Verdict Summary
Analyzing the overall audience sentiment, verified rating of 5.8/10, and global performance metrics, Eight Legged Freaks is classified as a ABOVE AVERAGE. It remains an essential part of the 2002 cinematic calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Eight Legged Freaks worth watching?
Eight Legged Freaks is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Action movies. It has a verified rating of 5.8/10 and stands as a ABOVE AVERAGE in our box office analysis.
Where can I find Eight Legged Freaks parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for Eight Legged Freaks identifies it as PG-13. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of Eight Legged Freaks?
The total duration of Eight Legged Freaks is 99 minutes, which is approximately 1h 39m long.
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How Eight Legged Freaks Compares & Where it Ranks
Critic Reviews for Eight Legged Freaks
Arach Attack! Spiders escape from a spider farm in Prosperity, Arizona, and become giant man eating beasts on account of toxic waste carelessly dumped in a near by river. Can the odd ball inhabitants of this Arizona town escape with their lives? Or will spiders rule the earth and lay waste to man kind? Eight Legged Freaks is unashamedly homaging B movie creature features from the 1950s. The likes of Tarantula and Them! have their Pedipalps well and truly watered, in what is possibly the most undervalued of all the modern day creature feature homages. Having no pretensions what so ever, the only real thing not in "Freaks" favour is the usage of CGI, but even that doesn't hurt the film, if anything it adds to the obvious preposterous nature of the genre. I mean how else are we to get 20 foot jumping spiders chowing down on some annoying teenager? Perhaps "Freaks" is viewed harsh because the cast is relatively C list? Again that is a genre staple, surely? For what it's worth I think they do real fine, David Arquette has oodles of goofy charisma, Kari Wuher makes a fine female ass kicker, and the kids (one a young Scarlett Johansen) are really rather cool. Director Ellory Elkayem, who after doing They Nest in 2000 clearly has bug issues, adheres to genre staples. Kooky western town out in the desert, the inhabitants of which range from near loonies to dopey politicians, and the plot follows the traditional sense of impending doom played for laughs. Listen out for the score from John Ottman, which plays on variants of "Itsy Bitsy Spider", whilst cast a keen eye on John S. Bartley's Arizona camera work. Whilst not having the savvy scripting of homage daddy, Tremors, or the star appeal of 1990's Arachnophobia, Eight Legged Freaks deserves its place amongst such fun and creepy company. As the tag line says, "Do you hate spiders? Do you really hate spiders? Well they don't like you either". With that, I think it's web well and truly spun, don't you? 7/10
movieMx Verified
This review has been verified for accuracy and editorial quality by our senior cinematic analysts.
This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.
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