The fantasy boom in the 1980s gave way to some of the best movies in the genre, but Netflix subscribers are quickly running out of time to stream a beloved cult classic ‘80s fantasy comedy. The streaming giant is getting ready to kick off May with the arrival of dozens of TV shows and movies, but it first has to make space for those new arrivals with the removal of a few others. On the list of May 1st departures is an iconic fantasy film.
There’s just a little over a week left to stream Harry and the Hendersons. William Dear’s beloved 1987 fantasy comedy film starring John Lithgow, Melinda Dillon, and Kevin Peter Hall is scheduled to stop streaming on Netflix on May 1st. Produced by Amblin Entertainment, the movie blends elements of a classic 1950s monster movie with a heartwarming 1980s family comedy with a story about a Seattle family that adopts a friendly, gentle Bigfoot named Harry after accidentally hitting him with their car. What follows is plenty of loveable chaos as they try to keep Harry secret from authorities and an obsessive hunter and learn to love him like a member of the family.
If you want peak ‘80s nostalgia, then look no further than Harry and the Hendersons. The movie epitomized the ‘80s family movie formula, combining a suburban, relatable family setting with a fantastical element, mirroring hits like E.T., and focused more on the emotional bond between the family and Harry than the creature-feature premise itself. That emotional core is balanced with plenty of laughs, as Harry and the Hendersons is packed with comedic whimsy and slapstick humor. While some aspects of the film are difficult to remove from the ‘80s, the movie as a whole holds up incredibly well today, especially when it comes to Rick Baker’s creation of Harry, brought to life through Oscar-winning practical effects that hold up against modern CGI.
In terms of overall consensus, Harry and the Hendersons didn’t do too well. The film holds rotten critic and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes of 48% and 54%, but over the years it has evolved from a mixed-review summer release to a beloved cult classic. Although the movie never received an official theatrical sequel, it was followed by a television series adaptation, Harry and the Hendersons, which ran for three seasons and 72 episodes from 1991 to 1993, continuing the comedic chaos of the 1987 film and the story of a family living with a friendly Bigfoot in their suburban home. While that show hasn’t been available alongside the movie on Netflix, it is streaming completely free on Tubi.
If Harry and the Hendersons has piqued your interest or you simply want to rewatch the movie, you’ll want to find the time to do so before May 1st. Harry and the Hendersons doesn’t currently stream outside of Netflix, and it’s not currently slated to move to a rival streaming platform in the coming weeks. While the film is set to disappear from streaming at least for the foreseeable future, it is still available to rent and purchase online.
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