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Super 8

  • 2011
  • PG-13
  • 1h 52m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
378K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,517
196
Super 8 (2011)
This is the 90-second trailer that debuted during the MTV Movie Awards.
Play trailer1:29
28 Videos
99+ Photos
Conspiracy ThrillerActionSci-FiThriller

During the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town.During the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town.During the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town.

  • Director
    • J.J. Abrams
  • Writer
    • J.J. Abrams
  • Stars
    • Elle Fanning
    • AJ Michalka
    • Kyle Chandler
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.0/10
    378K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,517
    196
    • Director
      • J.J. Abrams
    • Writer
      • J.J. Abrams
    • Stars
      • Elle Fanning
      • AJ Michalka
      • Kyle Chandler
    • 1KUser reviews
    • 558Critic reviews
    • 72Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 11 wins & 71 nominations total

    Videos28

    New TV Trailer
    Trailer 1:29
    New TV Trailer
    Super 8: "It Arrives" TV Trailer
    Trailer 0:34
    Super 8: "It Arrives" TV Trailer
    Super 8: "It Arrives" TV Trailer
    Trailer 0:34
    Super 8: "It Arrives" TV Trailer
    Super 8: "Jersey" TV Trailer
    Trailer 0:33
    Super 8: "Jersey" TV Trailer
    Super 8: "What Is Coming" TV Trailer
    Trailer 0:33
    Super 8: "What Is Coming" TV Trailer
    Super 8: "Discover" TV Trailer
    Trailer 0:33
    Super 8: "Discover" TV Trailer
    Super 8: Trailer #1
    Trailer 2:22
    Super 8: Trailer #1

    Photos181

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    + 175
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    Top Cast76

    Edit
    Elle Fanning
    Elle Fanning
    • Alice Dainard
    AJ Michalka
    AJ Michalka
    • Jen Kaznyk
    Kyle Chandler
    Kyle Chandler
    • Deputy Jackson Lamb
    Joel Courtney
    Joel Courtney
    • Joe Lamb
    Jessica Tuck
    Jessica Tuck
    • Mrs. Kaznyk
    Joel McKinnon Miller
    Joel McKinnon Miller
    • Mr. Kaznyk
    Ryan Lee
    Ryan Lee
    • Cary
    Zach Mills
    Zach Mills
    • Preston
    Riley Griffiths
    Riley Griffiths
    • Charles Kaznyk
    Gabriel Basso
    Gabriel Basso
    • Martin
    Ron Eldard
    Ron Eldard
    • Louis Dainard
    Andrew Miller
    • Kaznyk Twin
    Jakob Miller
    • Kaznyk Twin
    Jade Griffiths
    • Benji Kaznyk
    Britt Flatmo
    Britt Flatmo
    • Peg Kaznyk
    Glynn Turman
    Glynn Turman
    • Dr. Woodward
    Noah Emmerich
    Noah Emmerich
    • Colonel Nelec
    Richard T. Jones
    Richard T. Jones
    • Overmyer
    • Director
      • J.J. Abrams
    • Writer
      • J.J. Abrams
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews1K

    7.0377.9K
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    Featured reviews

    theevans7

    Best 2011 Movie

    Steven Spielberg and J.J Abrams working on a project together. That idea alone is great however the finished project is a masterpiece. I was expecting a lot when I walked into the theater, when I walked out, not only were my expectations met but it was much better than i thought it would be. Let's start off with the actors, they all did a great job, but I was really impressed with Elle Fanning's acting, she added lots to the movie. I know it won't happen for this movie but I think she deserves an Oscar for her performance. Next, let's talk about the overall movie, it was great, it had, action, comedy, Mystery, romance, and suspense. The special effects were amazing, best this year. Now, the ending, i'm not going to say what happens, but many people hated it but I thought it was perfect, great way to end the film. Overall, suspense, action packed movie with great special effects and great acting from underrated stars makes the best movie of 2011, and one of the best movies ever. 10/10
    7MVictorPjinsiste

    Absolutely Charming

    Overtly nostalgic movie about a bunch of kids stumbling on a secret weapon blunder while making a zombie flick. Yes, it is an obvious hommage to Spielberg, that much have been said.

    The kids are remarkable, everyone of them. In fact, as soon as the movie moves away from them, it suffers, althought Kyle Chandler, reliable, does a good job with non-verbal acting. The one kid I liked most was the "directing" one, reacting with slight disgust at the thought that his own sister (she must have been ugly when younger) could actually be attractive to others, but all of them had their quirps that made them likeable in their own ways.

    When compared with contemporary Stephen King's "It" adaptation, which is similar in many ways, it is less lurid and graphic, and adults are less of a threat, but the nostalgia factor is doubled. I especially liked the middle-class settings and realities, the small Ohio town. My favorite moment was when they actually showed the full movie the kids made ("The Case") during the end credits, which makes it the most agreable end credits I ever witnessed.

    Alas, not all was perfect and the main CGI creature is somewhat of a wet petard, and some characters were less than convincing, like the stoner guy. It is however a movie with a heart. Or maybe it's me who's getting too old.
    7RubenKushalini

    A nostalgic lens on loss and growing up

    J. J. Abrams' Super 8 isn't just a sci-fi thriller-it's a bittersweet time capsule of childhood, loss, and the fleeting magic of innocence. Set in 1979, the film follows a group of kids making a zombie movie on their Super 8 camera, only to witness a catastrophic train crash that unleashes something far beyond their understanding. But beneath the lens flare and monster mystery lies something far more poignant: a story about broken families, grief, and the inevitable passage of time.

    At its heart is Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney), a boy still reeling from the loss of his mother, and his complicated relationship with his emotionally distant father. The film beautifully captures that aching, unspoken void between them, where words fail but silence speaks volumes. Elle Fanning delivers a breathtaking performance as Alice, a girl with her own painful burdens, and their shared moments feel raw and real-two young souls quietly searching for connection in a world that feels too big and too cruel.

    While the sci-fi spectacle unfolds in thrilling ways, it never overshadows the movie's core theme: growing up means learning how to say goodbye. Whether it's to a parent, to childhood dreams, or to the belief that life will always be simple, Super 8 reminds us that some things-like an old film reel-can only be cherished as memories.

    Super 8 is more than just a Spielbergian homage-it's a deeply human story wrapped in a monster movie. The alien may be terrifying, but the real fear lies in the things we can't control: loss, change, and the painful beauty of growing up.
    6ghomeishy

    first 80 minutes : great!!! last 30 minutes : horrible!!!

    I have never seen a movie which could be divided to two parts of "absolutely amazing" and "boring and childish". The first 80 minutes is awesome, I was shocked by how good this movie was as I had seen some bad reviews on IMDb but then the cheesy part kicked in and ruined the whole thing.

    First thing that comes in to everybody's mind when they see the first scenes is that this movie is so similar to et! The style is the same, the theme is the same, it even happens in the same era with the same kind of neighborhood which is kinda cool and nostalgic for my generation. Super 8 seems like a fan-made dedication to Spielberg but it just didn't work quite well.

    From the actor's performance perspective; Elle Fanning's performance was breath-taking, and she saved some scenes. She's got potential to be a big star in the future. Kyle Chandler on the other hand was just plain and simple awful. He made the whole thing look kinda funny and stupid.

    From special effects and sounding perspective, I'd say it was stunning. One of the best I have seen in the genre in years as you would expect when you see Spielberg's name on the screen. There's this big scene at the first half an hour into the movie where you just get nailed to your sit due to the load sound which should have been annoying but it was not. It was awesome. You don't see this in Germany often but after this specific scene, the audience gave Abram an standing ovation!!! It was awesome. Of course at the end, everyone was angry because he ruined the whole thing with a very cheesy "et-like" ending but all in all it was worth the money, better than most of the movies in the last 6 months, I would say.

    I'm giving it 6/10 because first of all, I expected so much more from the creator of Lost and second of all, the last 30 minutes is really bad and the ending is just pure garbage. They used some cgi stuff which was very impressive but didn't quite go with the theme of the movie and was really inconsistent. All in all, it doesn't deserve the crap that it's getting in the reviews but it quite doesn't deserve the praises either. It's only OK
    6bruce-149

    Been there, done that

    As an homage to the Spielberg films of the 80's, this movie succeeds. As a piece of original entertainment? Nothing happening, folks. Now, if you're a kid and have never seen The Goonies, Jaws, ET, War of the Worlds, and Cloverfield, you may think this film is absolutely wonderful. And judged through the lens of cinema history, it may well be looked upon as a culmination of all that came before.

    Let's just hope that the future is filled with something in rare supply: originality.

    It's not that I wasn't entertained, it's just that I expected something more.

    And I suppose that's another problem with getting older. There aren't as many surprises left in the world.

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    Related interests

    Gene Hackman in The Conversation (1974)
    Conspiracy Thriller
    Bruce Willis and Taniel in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    Sci-Fi
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      As teenagers, J.J. Abrams and his friend Matt Reeves (director of Cloverfield (2008) were hired by Steven Spielberg to restore some of his Super 8 home movies.
    • Goofs
      After the train wreck, Alice's car is dirty, covered in ash and debris When the kids get in the car to leave the train station, the car is clean.
    • Quotes

      Joe Lamb: She used to look at me... this way, like really look... and I just knew I was there... that I existed.

    • Crazy credits
      Charles Kaznyk's completed zombie movie is shown during the closing credits.
    • Alternate versions
      In the original theatrical version some shot of Jen Kaznyk walk to Donny in the evacuation center are cut from the DVD version
    • Connections
      Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Shrek Forever After/Survival of the Dead/Holy Rollers (2010)
    • Soundtracks
      Don't Bring Me Down
      Written by Jeff Lynne

      Performed by Electric Light Orchestra

      Courtesy of Epic Records

      By arrangement with Sony Music Publishing

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    FAQ32

    • How long is Super 8?Powered by Alexa
    • Who was the narrator?
    • Why did he let go of the locket?
    • Is "Super 8" based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 10, 2011 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Acadia
    • Filming locations
      • Weirton, West Virginia, USA
    • Production companies
      • Paramount Pictures
      • Amblin Entertainment
      • Bad Robot
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $50,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $127,004,179
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $35,451,168
      • Jun 12, 2011
    • Gross worldwide
      • $260,095,986
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 52m(112 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • SDDS
      • Datasat
      • Dolby Digital
      • Dolby Surround 7.1
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1
      • 2.39 : 1

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