Chopping Mall(1986)
1986 · Jim Wynorski · 77 min
High-tech robots equipped with state-of-the-art security devices have been recruited as the new mechanical "night watchmen" for the Park Plaza Mall. When a jolting bolt of lightning short-circuits the main computer control, the robots turn into "killbots" on the loose after unsuspecting shoppers!
Horror · Science Fiction
5.8416 votes
TMDB score
2/5
Intensity
3/5
Gore
1/5
Stays with you
How Chopping Mall scares
You watch this one with a grin more than a flinch, because it plays like a goofy 80s creature feature dressed up as a robot slasher. The pace is light and silly, with characters wandering a closed mall while clunky security robots hunt them down with lasers. There's some cheesy gore and a few chase-and-zap moments, but nothing that digs into real dread or gets under your skin. It's a fun, so-bad-it's-good popcorn horror flick, perfect for a laugh-along movie night rather than a scare-fest.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, Chopping Mall 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: 55 of 100 — balanced
Supernatural vs Real-world: 90 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, laid-back setup gives way to a steadily escalating chase-and-kill romp that keeps ramping up until a frantic finish.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 0, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 4, 5.
How scary is Chopping Mall?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, Chopping Mall rates 2/5 — moderately scary, balancing creeping dread with well-placed 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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