It may fall into the "so bad it's good" category—it even won a Razzie—but this cult horror comedy is smarter than it first appears.

| Nov 13, 2024

Utterly delightful, with a very committed Cassandra Peterson delivering an all-time-great goofball performance.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 3, 2022

A hilarious and witty send-up of small town puritanical values with stand-out performances by Peterson and MVP McClurg. Elvira is a sex-positive feminist icon and this film deserves way more credit in horror comedy circles.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 2, 2022

It is awfully hard to knock a low-brow laugh-fest centered on a strong, explicitly sexual woman.

| Sep 19, 2022

Campy, witty and always eager to push the bawdy limits of a PG-13 rating...

| Sep 10, 2021

This one-note vehicle throws ambiguity and subtlety out the window in favor of a barrage of unfunny boob jokes.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Nov 3, 2020

Elvira is an entirely watchable character, merging gothic titillation and a killer figure with bad puns and nods to iconic movies.

| Original Score: 4/10 | Sep 6, 2020

Perhaps that's why Elvira: Mistress of the Dark is so hilariously awesome, perhaps more-so than you'd expect, because Peterson so totally understands what it takes to make a "bad" movie that only her influence could make one near perfect.

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Aug 28, 2020

Elvira managed to make a seemingly oxymoronic character into a household name, built off her bountiful looks, quick wit, and indefatigable charisma.

| Aug 18, 2020

Elvira is all sarky, smutty sex positivity, making a prominent display of her two best assets: her verbal wit, and her ability to laugh at everything and everyone including, first and foremost, herself.

| Dec 11, 2018

Energetic, tongue-in-cheek fun... if you enjoy the Elvira character, this is a picture that you will have an absolute blast with.

| Original Score: 9/10 | Dec 9, 2018

Despite its mildly raunchy tone and obsession with Peterson's considerable cleavage, the film is a decent, good-hearted comedy that never takes itself seriously.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Oct 23, 2012

It's not just dumb fun. The script contains a few genuinely smart one-liners (even if the relentless flood of innuendo will weary even the hardiest Carry On fans) and there's far more to Elvira than a perilously plunging neckline.

| Oct 23, 2012

It may not be the comedy that re-invented horror comedies, but Elvira's feature film debut is an entertaining and raunchy foray...

| Sep 30, 2012

But there's nothing dark about Elvira's cleavage.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jan 1, 2008

A predictable plot and cheapskate effects deaden Elvira's occasional witty lines, while references to the horror genre make the film busy without going anywhere.

| Jan 26, 2006

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 14, 2005

With a solid humor lineage...Elvira: Mistress of the Dark is one of the best comedies of the late 80s.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 29, 2005

Stupidity with a cleavage.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Apr 1, 2005

There are only a couple of fresh and funny moments.

| Original Score: 2/5 | May 20, 2003