Skip to content
HOLLYWOOD METRICS
HomeAboutCraftNewsAnalyticsScriptsBooksPricingAPIMCP
Catalog/Comedy/Parents
Parents poster
C
Average
MASTER SCORE 53.4 / 100
1989·Comedy / Horror / Mystery·1h 21m

PARENTS

“There's A New Name For Terror...”

Michael is a young boy living in a typical 1950s suburbanite home... except for his bizarre and horrific nightmares, and continued unease around his parents. Young Michael begins to suspect his parents are cooking more than just hamburgers on the grill outside, but has trouble explaining his fears to his new-found friend Sheila, or the school's social worker.

Above the Line
Bob Balaban·DirectorChristopher Hawthorne·WriterRobin Vidgeon·Director of PhotographyJonathan Elias·Original Music ComposerBill Pankow·Editor
Cast
Randy Quaid·Nick LaemleMary Beth Hurt·Lily LaemleSandy Dennis·Millie DewBryan Madorsky·Michael LaemleJuno Mills-Cockell·Sheila ZellnerKathryn Grody·Miss Judith BaxterDeborah Rush·Mrs. Gladys ZellnerGraham Jarvis·Mr. Marty ZellnerHelen Carscallen·GrandmotherWarren Van Evera·Grandfather
Full Crew
(29 credits)
Directing· 1
Bob Balaban·Director
Writing· 1
Christopher Hawthorne·Writer
Camera· 2
Robin Vidgeon·Director of PhotographyErnest Day·Director of Photography
Editing· 1
Bill Pankow·Editor
Sound & Music· 12
Jonathan Elias·Original Music ComposerAngelo Badalamenti·Original Music ComposerHarry Peck Bolles·Sound EditorPhilip Stockton·Sound EditorNeil L. Kaufman·Sound EditorLaura Civiello·Sound EditorRick Dior·Sound Re-Recording MixerBrian Eddolls·Sound DesignerBrian Eddolls·Sound EditorEliza Paley·Sound EditorGail Showalter·Sound EditorSkip Lievsay·Supervising Sound Editor
Art & Design· 5
Arthur Rowsell·Costume DesignAndris Hausmanis·Art DirectionLinda Gill·Makeup ArtistAndrew Poulos·Assistant Art DirectorMike Harris·Set Decoration
Production· 7
Mitchell Cannold·Executive ProducerBonnie Palef·ProducerSteven Reuther·Executive ProducerDori Berinstein·Production ExecutiveSuzanne Lore·Production ManagerRisa Bramon Garcia·CastingBilly Hopkins·Casting
By the Numbers
53.4
OF 100
Master Score
6.1
OF 10
IMDb
53%
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
$871K
ROI -71%
Worldwide Gross
0
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch

THE AVAILABILITY MAP

The canonical record of where this film lives across the streaming map.

Provider Index In Progress

Streaming, rental, and purchase availability for this title is being ingested from the TMDB watch-providers feed and will appear here once the next catalog refresh runs. Until then, the canonical source links below remain the fastest route.

Find on TMDB
Poster DNA

THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION

A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind Parents's key art.

Dominant Palette
3 colors
#8C0000
#F0F0F0
#A0A0A0
Mood
Eerie, Unsettling, Retro
Composition
Layered
Era
1950s
Visual Style
Photographic

“A man and a woman are in a kitchen, seemingly preparing food. The man, wearing glasses and a collared shirt, leans into an open refrigerator, looking towards th”

horrorcomedy
Key Elements
RefrigeratorPink SkullMeat PlatterPink Frying PanLight Blue Egg Shaped ObjectsKitchen Cabinets
Atmosphere
Warm
Color Mood
Mixed
Setting
Indoor
Design Score
8/10
More Like This

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Neighboring films in the catalog's similarity graph.

Keep Going

THREE WAYS DEEPER

Auteur
AUT
MORE BY BOB BALABAN

Every catalog entry where Bob Balaban is credited as director.

Open
Family
GEN
MORE COMEDY

Top-ranked films inside comedy, sorted by master score.

Open
Era
DEC
MORE FROM THE 1980S

The best films of the 1980s, ranked across every available metric.

Open
View on IMDbView on TMDBCatalog
HOLLYWOOD METRICS

The definitive mathematical oracle for cinematic success and creative script intelligence.

74,000+ Films100 Years1.1M+ Reviews
PRODUCT
  • Dashboard
  • Pricing
  • Script Analysis
  • Watch the Demo
  • The Red List
  • News
  • Analytics
  • API
  • MCP Connector
COMPANY
  • About
  • Track Record
  • Trust & Script Privacy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
CONNECT
  • ▶YouTube
  • ◉Instagram
  • ♪TikTok
  • @Threads
  • fFacebook
Get Started Free →
© 2026 Hollywood Metrics. All rights reserved.Powered by bespoke agents and autonomous agentic workflows