Piranha 3D(2010)
2010 · Alexandre Aja · 88 min
Each year the population of sleepy Lake Victoria, Arizona explodes from 5,000 to 50,000 residents for the annual Spring Break celebration. But then, an earthquake opens an underwater chasm, releasing an enormous swarm of ancient Piranha that have been dormant for thousands of years, now with a taste for human flesh. This year, there's something more to worry about than the usual hangovers and complaints from locals, a new type of terror is about to be cut loose on Lake Victoria.
Comedy · Horror
5.42.5k votes
TMDB score
3/5
Intensity
5/5
Gore
1/5
Stays with you
How Piranha 3D scares
Piranha 3D throws a party atmosphere at you before ripping it apart with over-the-top carnage, and it never asks you to feel anything heavy about it. The pacing is quick and gleeful, mixing spring-break silliness with sudden gory attacks meant to make you laugh and squirm at the same time. There's no real dread or mind games here, just wall-to-wall physical mayhem played for shock and comedy. It's a good pick if you want a gross, funny creature-feature romp with friends, not something that stays with you afterward.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, Piranha 3D rates psychological 1/5, visceral 5/5, gore 5/5, lingering effect 1/5, and overall intensity 3/5.
- Psychological: 1 of 5
- Visceral: 5 of 5
- Gore: 5 of 5
- Lingering: 1 of 5
- Intensity: 3 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 65 of 100 — leans Jump scares
Supernatural vs Real-world: 85 of 100 — leans Real-world
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 10 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 goofy, sunny build-up that suddenly erupts into one long, gory carnage set-piece before a quick wind-down.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 4, 2.
How scary is Piranha 3D?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, Piranha 3D rates 3/5 — solidly scary, delivering its fear through jump scares more than lingering dread. It attacks the body more than the mind — physical, in-your-face horror. Expect it to be heavy on gore and fun-first. The dread fades once the credits roll.
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