Image by Midjourney.com
Gremlins, the 1984 American Black Comedy Horror film by Steven Spielberg was destined to become a classic. Taking place in a Christmas setting, as everyone who has seen the film knows, it revolves around the hapless son of an failed inventor who receives a mogwai (Cantonese: 魔怪, ‘devil’) as a Christmas present. Delighted at first, the son fails to adhere from the rules regarding Mogwai and is soon faced with the hilarious but destructive forces of multiplying gremlins who are intent upon taking down his hometown.
Gremlins was produced at a time when combining horror and comedy was becoming increasingly popular. But movies, being what they are, still have lessons to teach us all about human nature. So what does this movie teach?
As it turns out, gremlins aren’t an ancient, centuries-old mytheme. The stories originated in the 1920s through folktales told in the British Royal Air Force, when pilots would refer to “gremlins” as little gnome-like men who lived in the wings of planes, causing unexpected mechanical failures. Author Roald Dahl would absorb these stories during his time as a pilot, and as his first children’s novel in 1942, spun tales about a race of miniature airplane saboteurs who sought revenge against humans for destroying their forest home. Dahl was the first writer to introduce “The Gremlins” to a mainstream public, and although he depicted the little men with tinted skin and pointy horns, they were hardly the malicious fiends we seem to know today. That turn came in 1963, when in an episode of The Twilight Zone, William Shatner famously spotted an evil goblin destroying the wing of his commuter flight. The script refers to the monster as a “gremlin” in reference to the airplane saboteurs of WWII, not necessarily because of its grotesque appearance. Now through these decades of growing folklore, the throughline of gremlin aesthetic and behavior really isn’t anything goblin-like or malicious in nature… It’s a passion for airline disobedience. Most of the qualities we know today — including the three gremlin rules:
Rule 1: No Bright Light
Rule 2: Don’t Get Them Wet
Rule 3: No Food After Midnight
This lore does actually go back centuries, laced in both Chinese and Buddhist mythology, where mogwais are mischievous, shapechanging demons. As the stories go, mogwais only reproduce during the rainy season knowing that the times ahead will be more prosperous.
Of course, the movie gave us Gizmo. What a pure symbol of love, joy, and a strict set of ownership guidelines for which any violation risks unleashing sheer terror on everyone in the immediate vicinity but let’s look at the rest of it.
Key Psychological Themes
- Human Nature & Vice:
- Inner Beast: The Mogwai (Gizmo) represents inherent goodness, while the Gremlins symbolize humanity’s darker, impulsive side, unleashed by gluttony (eating after midnight) and breaking rules.
- Pandora’s Box: The story parallels the myth of Pandora’s Box, where releasing something (the Gremlins) brings unforeseen suffering and chaos.
- Consumerism & Globalization:
- Critique of Capitalism: The film critiques American consumerism, as the town’s obsession with buying and convenience leads to destruction, with the Chinese shopkeeper noting humans misuse nature’s gifts.
- Fear of the Foreign: It taps into Cold War-era fears about foreign influences, with the “foreign” creature (Gizmo) becoming a catalyst for domestic chaos when misunderstood and mishandled.
- Cultural & Racial Undertones (Debated):
- Orientalism: Some interpret the mystical Chinese shop as playing into stereotypes, while others see it as a reflection of 80s interest in Eastern mysticism.
- Racial Stereotypes: Others argue the Gremlins’ behavior (drinking, gambling, eating fried chicken) mirrors racist caricatures of Black Americans, though many dispute this, suggesting viewers project their own biases.
- Don’t get them wet: Water transforms them (unleashing potential).
- Keep them away from bright light: Light (truth/exposure) harms them.
- Never feed them after midnight: Gluttony/indulgence (breaking moderation) triggers the destructive phase.
What is the gremlin?
The gremlin is our inner dialogue, our inner critic, the negative chatterbox that is with us 24/7, from the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep. Recognising and understanding your Gremlin is the most important thing you can do for yourself, because your happiness depends on it.
The purpose of the Gremlin is to preserve the status quo. Its intention is not malicious; on the contrary, the idea is to keep you safe. It may not feel like it, but it actually isn’t an evil voice; it’s an ignorant one, determined to keep you small.
When you feel overcome with self-doubt, convinced that you’re not good enough and overwhelmed by an inexorable stream of self-criticism (generally called ‘beating yourself up’), remember: this is your Gremlin at work.