Phantoms main backdrop
Phantoms main poster

5.4/10 • 358

1998-01-231h 36m

HorrorScience FictionThriller

For centuries they told us the terror would come from above. We've been looking the wrong way.

In the peaceful Colorado town of Snowfield, something evil has wiped out the community. And now, it's up to a group of people to stop it, or at least get out of Snowfield alive.

Directors
Joe Chappelle
Editors
Randy Bricker

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Ben Affleck

    Ben Affleck

    Sheriff Bryce Hammond

  2. Peter O'Toole

    Peter O'Toole

    Dr. Timothy Flyte

  3. Rose McGowan

    Rose McGowan

    Lisa Pailey

  4. Joanna Going

    Joanna Going

    Jennifer Pailery, M.D.

  5. Liev Schreiber

    Liev Schreiber

    Deputy Stuart 'Stu' Wargle

  6. Nicky Katt

    Nicky Katt

    Deputy Steve Shanning

  7. Clifton Powell

    Clifton Powell

    Gen. Leland Copperfield

  8. Rick Otto

    Rick Otto

    Scientist Lockland

  9. Valerie Chow

    Valerie Chow

    Scientist Yamaguchi

Reviews2

View Reviews
John Chard Avatar

John Chard

Oct 3, 2014

7/10

The first thing we'd like to know is what we're dealing with, biological, chemical, or other. Directed by Joe Chappelle and written by Dean Koontz, who adapts from his own novel, Phantoms (not the greatest title all things considered) is a considerably well put together amalgamation of horror/sci-fi/creature feature tropes. If at times it feels clichéd and formulaic, then that is ultimately a curse of the cinematic genres it lives and breaths in. Plot basically has two sisters played by Rose McGowan and Joanna Going arriving in the town of Snowfield, Cololrado, to find most of the inhabitants dead, diseased or dismembered. A trio of coppers turn up played by Liev Schreiber (shifty malevolence), Ben Affleck (square jawed bastion of heroism) and Nicky Katt (fodder of course), and thus a fight for survival ensues as Peter O'Toole's sharp doctor character comes flying in to become the fulcrum of the story. So yep! There's something very evil and nasty at work here and the makers expand upon the reasons why with a drip-feed mixture of mad science and intelligent thematic ideas. The effects work is more than adequate and the strong cast list perform well up to scratch (nice to see O'Toole doesn't phone it in to denigrate the story). Things are taken very seriously throughout, the makers in no way biting the hand that feeds them, while the requisite insertions of jump - shocks - twists and mayhem are handled with care and attention by the director. You may come away as I did with a hunger to dig out your copy of John Carpenter's sublime The Thing? Which in truth is never a bad "thing," but this is still sturdy stuff, a pic caked in genre cement, and crucially it doesn't waste the time invested by the genre compliant viewers. 7/10

Media

  • Phantoms poster
  • Phantoms poster
  • Phantoms poster
  • Phantoms poster
  • Phantoms poster
  • Phantoms poster
  • Phantoms poster
  • Phantoms poster
  • Phantoms poster

Recommendations

  • We Summon the Darkness main backdrop

    We Summon the Darkness

    5.4

  • Gang Related main backdrop

    Gang Related

    6.3

  • Girls! Girls! Girls! main backdrop

    Girls! Girls! Girls!

    5.3

  • The Weight of Water main backdrop

    The Weight of Water

    5.5

  • Mystery Team main backdrop

    Mystery Team

    6.3

  • The Man Who Knew Too Much main backdrop

    The Man Who Knew Too Much

    6.5

  • Wolves main backdrop

    Wolves

    5.9

  • Phantasm II main backdrop

    Phantasm II

    6.2

  • The Relic main backdrop

    The Relic

    6.0

  • Roxanne main backdrop

    Roxanne

    6.4

  • Ravenous main backdrop

    Ravenous

    6.8

  • The Reef main backdrop

    The Reef

    5.7

  • The Advent Calendar main backdrop

    The Advent Calendar

    6.7

  • The Blob main backdrop

    The Blob

    6.8

  • Friday the 13th Part III main backdrop

    Friday the 13th Part III

    5.9

  • Dante's Peak main backdrop

    Dante's Peak

    6.2

  • Along Came a Spider main backdrop

    Along Came a Spider

    6.3

  • Deep Blue Sea main backdrop

    Deep Blue Sea

    6.0

  • Priest main backdrop

    Priest

    5.8

  • The Mask of Zorro main backdrop

    The Mask of Zorro

    6.6

Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
$14,000,000.00
Revenue
$5,624,282.00
Keywords
sheriffbased on novel or bookprofessorcoloradogoredeserted townrural arealos angeles, californiascientistu.s. soldiermilitaryalternate life formdeputiesfear of dyingsister sister relationshipsuspenseful