Q(1982)
1982 · Larry Cohen · 93 min
A fleeing gangland flunky discovers the New York nest of Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl, the man-eating flying serpent.
Crime · Horror · Mystery
5.7499 votes
TMDB score
2/5
Intensity
3/5
Gore
1/5
Stays with you
How Q scares
There's a goofy, low-budget charm to watching this one, more like a monster-on-the-loose adventure than anything that will actually scare you. The pace bounces between a small-time crook's police drama and sudden attacks from a giant flying creature nesting above the city, so it never settles into real dread. Gore shows up in bursts when the creature strikes, but it's more gross fun than upsetting. This is a good pick if you want a cheesy old-school creature movie rather than something that will stick with you.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, Q rates psychological 1/5, visceral 3/5, gore 3/5, lingering effect 1/5, and overall intensity 2/5.
- Psychological: 1 of 5
- Visceral: 3 of 5
- Gore: 3 of 5
- Lingering: 1 of 5
- Intensity: 2 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 40 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 12 of 100 — leans Supernatural
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 15 of 100 — leans Fun-scary
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A low-key crime story keeps getting interrupted by jolts of monster-attack terror, building to a bigger, more frantic finish.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 2, 2, 3, 2, 3, 2, 4, 3, 4, 4, 5.
How scary is Q?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, Q rates 2/5 — moderately scary, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. It attacks the body more than the mind — physical, in-your-face horror. Expect it to be moderately gory and fun-first. The dread fades once the credits roll.
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