Film

Tentacles

Name: Tentacles
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction, Adventure, Action
Released: 1977
Cast: John Huston, Shelley Winters, Bo Hopkins, Henry Fonda, Delia Boccardo

A 1977 creature feature where John Huston's scientist suspects industrial pollution has spawned a giant octopus terrorizing a coastal town. It's earnest B-movie fun—rubber tentacles, real dread, and environmental anxieties dressed up as creature carnage. For anyone who loves monsters that mean something, and doesn't need CGI to feel the threat.

TMDb rating

2.3

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy creature features built on sun-bleached seaside paranoia and a corporate villain, where a 1970s B-movie gets its kicks from practical monsters and bickering small-town characters.

Skip it if you need a sleek, modern creature movie with slick effects, since the octopus work is rubbery and the pacing wanders through lots of talky scenes before the sea finally turns nasty.

What it asks of you: It runs about an hour and forty minutes and takes its time setting up the bay community before the attacks escalate, so patience with a leisurely, sun-drenched middle helps.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Jaws1975

The obvious touchstone: a community under siege from an unseen predator, building dread through absence and glimpses. Spielberg's control makes it seem effortless, but the structure and tension are unmistakable.

But If you've seen it recently, Jaws holds up so completely that returning to Tentacles's rougher edges might feel like a step backward.

The Poseidon Adventure1972

Similar era, similar coastal jeopardy, but trades creature horror for disaster spectacle. The same blend of practical effects, recognizable character actors, and environmental peril underlying the action.

But It's fundamentally about human resourcefulness in crisis, not monstrous threat—a different flavor of survival entirely.

Orca1977

Released the same year, another monster-at-sea tale where a marine creature becomes an agent of vengeance. Richard Harris adds Shakespearean weight to a premise that could have been disposable.

But The pacing drags and the whale effects are inconsistent, which undercuts the tragedy it's reaching for.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Tentacles

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Hellstrom Chronicle1971

Both treat the natural world as having legitimate grievances against human industry; both suggest mutation and adaptation as nature's response to our recklessness.

A faux-documentary where entomologist Neville Brand argues that insects should replace humanity. It's grotesque, scientifically grounded, and structurally bizarre—more unsettling than any rubber creature could be.

But It's deliberately slow, pseudo-scientific in its misanthropy, and has no plot—just ideas delivered via narration over insect footage.

The Deep1977

Another 1977 ocean adventure, this one combining treasure-hunting with genuine undersea dread. Robert Shaw and Jacqueline Bisset navigate both intrigue and creatures with style.

But It prioritizes romance and mystery over pure monster thrills, which can feel meandering if you came for creature-feature intensity.

Piranha1978

Joe Dante's affectionate knockoff of Jaws, where genetically-engineered fish terrorize a resort. It knows exactly what it is—trashy, clever, and genuinely fun without pretending to be more.

But The satire lands best if you find B-movie sincerity amusing rather than just endearing; some find it too jokey.

Great White Death1981

An unashamed Jaws copy that leans harder into exploitation—more violence, more carnage, less subtlety. If Tentacles appeals, this brazenly Italian riff on the formula has its own grubby charm.

But It's a shameless cash-in with poor effects and a padded runtime; most people find it more tedious than entertaining.

Q1982

An Aztec god awakens above New York: creature horror with real production values and a nasty streak. Larry Cohen made B-movies with A-level ideas, and this is proof.

But The middle section becomes a heist film, which dilutes the creature threat and shifts tones in ways that don't always cohere.

Humanoids from the Deep1980

Creature feature with genuine menace and 1970s sleaze—fishlike beings terrorize a coastal community. It's exploitation done with craft and a willingness to be genuinely unsettling.

But The sexual violence sequences are exploitative in ways that haven't aged well and may make viewing uncomfortable.