It's Alive(1974)
1974 · Larry Cohen · 91 min
The Davises are expecting a baby, which turns out to be a monster with a nasty habit of killing people whenever scared. And it's easily scared.
Horror · Science Fiction
6.0227 votes
TMDB score
3/5
Intensity
2/5
Gore
3/5
Stays with you
How It's Alive scares
There's a strange, uneasy sadness running through this one alongside the horror, since so much of the fear comes from the anxiety of parenthood and family shame rather than pure monster-movie thrills. The pace is slow and moody, focused on paranoia, guilt, and dread building in a household, with sudden bursts of violence breaking up long stretches of tension. The creature itself is kept mostly hidden or glimpsed quickly, so the horror leans more on unease and suggestion than on graphic violence. It's an odd, sad little horror movie more than a fun scare, better suited to fans of weird 70s horror than people looking for a straightforward thrill ride.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, It's Alive rates psychological 4/5, visceral 3/5, gore 2/5, lingering effect 3/5, and overall intensity 3/5.
- Psychological: 4 of 5
- Visceral: 3 of 5
- Gore: 2 of 5
- Lingering: 3 of 5
- Intensity: 3 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 30 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 25 of 100 — leans Supernatural
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 55 of 100 — balanced
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A slow, brooding domestic drama punctuated by sudden bursts of shock, building to a tense, chaotic finish.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 2, 4, 3, 2, 2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5.
How scary is It's Alive?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, It's Alive rates 3/5 — solidly scary, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. It works on both fronts, unsettling the mind while going for the body. Expect it to be moderately gory and scary but not punishing. Some of it will follow you to bed, but it lets go within a day or so.
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