Rent Cujo (1983)

If only they had a mobile phone… - Cujo review by HW

If you liked the book, this is a surprisingly faithful adaptation: surprising because they kept in a lot of details I expected a film to leave out for the purpose of streamlining, like the heroine’s affair. Spielberg left the wife’s affair out of ‘Jaws’, so why not here? 

I mention ‘Jaws’ because ‘Cujo’ is like watching a backwoods version of that suspenseful classic, except the shark is now hairy, foaming at the mouth and thus more horrifying. The film is a triumph in terms of being even more scary than the book in presenting a totally undesirable situation: being trapped in a broken-down car in baking heat with your young son and a rabid St Bernard lurking outside. 

While not in the same league as other King-inspired adaptations like ‘the Shining’ and ‘Carrie’, this one still delivers the thrills and the actress playing the heroic mom does give an incredible performance. Decent 80s thriller if you want some brutal entertainment for a fun night in.