The Oral History of ‘Gremlins’

Of all the valuable life lessons Gremlins has taught us, two are most important:

1. Society needs rules.
2. There’s nothing more fun than breaking them.

That contradiction is the movie’s oozing heart. Because of human ignorance, the cutest creature on earth spawns an army of slimy monsters. But even as the reptilian goons terrorize the small town of Kingston Falls, it’s hard for the audience not to cheer on the mayhem.