An estranged family member delivers a mysterious box, and it soon becomes apparent that the metallic container actually has a clock engraved on it. Whenever the dial moves a notch, an ancient creature emerges from the box and kills someone that owner cares about. Worse still, it transpires that the only one way to prevent this from happening, is to willingly pass the vessel along to someone else, thereby resetting the countdown. Adam is thus faced with an agonising dilemma. Either allow the timer to count down (and let the bodies pile up) or pass the terrible curse along.
The primary monster from this 2017 movie, the Gremlin starts out as a creature about the size of a house cat. The physiology of the creature only peripherally resembles life on Earth. Though it doesn't stand upright to get around, its hind limbs resemble legs with backward knees and shins like swords ending in points, and its fore limbs bear a resemblance to arms ending in three-fingered hands. Going further away from terrestrial, there are a pair of much smaller two-hinged limbs coiled up in the pelvic region, looking like a pair of small knives. The head appears to be nearly all mouth and needle teeth.
At first, when the Gremlin leaves the box, it comes out small and it is dedicated to making a kill. If it should be killed, another immediately springs from the box, all ready to finish what the other started. After the timer on the box hits its final countdown, the creature grows to about twenty-five feet tall until its box is claimed by the next victim.
Movie synopsis
Armed with a shotgun, James Roberts frantically waits for a mystical box to open. When it does, a small creature emerges and kills James’ wheelchair-bound wife Lisa.
James brings the box to his elderly mother Mary and presents it to her as a gift. James instructs Mary to not keep the box, but to give it to someone she loves before the timer on its top runs out. Having assumed his mother was alone, James is alarmed to find out his niece Julie is now living in Mary’s home with Julie’s architect husband Adam Thatcher, their teenage daughter Anna, and their young son Charlie. James leaves abruptly.
Despite her confusion, Mary gives the box to Adam as a gift according to James’ instructions. That night, Charlie witnesses a gremlin emerging from the box to kill Mary in her bed.
Detective Morris Patterson interviews the family about Mary’s suspicious death the next morning. Everyone dismisses Charlie’s claim that a monster from the box killed her.
Adam’s mistress Natalie Rose comes to the house under the pretense of dropping off paperwork. Adam dismisses her quickly, reminding Natalie that his wife cannot know about their affair.
After staying out all night, Anna returns home with her boyfriend Tyler Cook to tell her parents she is pregnant. However, Adam interrupts with the news that Anna’s great-grandmother died. Charlie once again mentions the box. Tyler asks if he can have the box and Adam says yes. The gremlin suddenly emerges. Everyone scatters.
Once everyone regroups, the gremlin kills Tyler by puncturing him through the back of his throat. The gremlin then returns to its box. Adam convinces the others that they cannot call police because no one will believe what happened. Instead, Adam says he will take the box back to where it came from.
Detective Patterson continues investigating Mary Roberts’ death. Detective John Harris mentions a previous case where Adam and Julie Thatcher’s 10-year-old son Henry was found murdered.
When Adam comes to his door, James greets Adam with a shotgun, saying only that Adam must give the box away. Adam responds that the box is already killing people, including James’ mother, but James refuses to explain anything more about the box.
On his way home, Adam throws the box into a lake. He then calls Natalie with a promise that he will end things with his wife soon. Meanwhile, Julie discovers a love note from Natalie. Julie forces Adam to sleep on the couch when he returns home.
The next morning, Adam finds the box back in the house. All of his attempts to destroy it are unsuccessful. Because the curse must be passed to someone he loves, Adam suggests giving it to Natalie. Julie slaps him and proclaims they are not murderers.
Detective Patterson interviews James about his mother’s death as well as the box.
At night, the gremlin crawls into Anna’s bed and kills her unborn baby by puncturing Anna’s stomach. Adam and Julie chase the gremlin throughout the house, but arrive too late to stop it from finding Anna again and killing her. The gremlin returns to its box once more. To protect their son Charlie, Julie finally agrees to allow Adam to give the box to Natalie.
Detective Harris tells Detective Patterson that Anna Thatcher’s boyfriend Tyler Cook was reported missing. Patterson goes to the house looking for Anna, but Julie deflects his questions.
After entertaining second thoughts, Adam ultimately goes through with giving Natalie the box. The gremlin emerges and cuts Natalie’s throat. Adam calls Julie to tell her that Natalie was killed, but the curse didn’t stop. Adam tells Julie to go to a motel with Charlie while he returns to the house to wait with a gun for the gremlin to come out once more.
The gremlin finally emerges from the box the next morning. Unable to kill it, Adam drives away from the house. The gremlin chases after Adam’s car, causing him to crash. Adam then chases the fleeing gremlin on foot.
Adam follows the gremlin to the motel where it rips out of Julie’s stomach and kills her. Adam returns home with Charlie.
On Detective Harris’ recommendation, Detective Patterson visits psychic Luciana Farrow to ask her about the box. Luciana explains that according to legend, the box is supposedly a weapon passed down through generations. The box contains a fallen god held against its will and bound to evil that can eradicate bloodlines. The box cannot be lost or destroyed. If cursed, the only options are to wait for the timer to expire or to pass the curse to a loved one to reset the countdown. No one knows for certain what happens when the timer reaches zero, although whoever possesses it will be driven mad.
The cops are called to the crime scene at the motel. They also discover that Natalie Rose is missing, prompting a manhunt for Adam Thatcher.
While Charlie hides, Adam waits for the gremlin to emerge after the box reappears at the house. When the gremlin comes out, Adam shoots it and it disintegrates. However, another gremlin emerges from the box to attack Adam and Charlie.
James arrives at the house unexpectedly and destroys the second gremlin with his shotgun. Adam recovers. A third gremlin emerges that kills James. Police arrive to separate Charlie from his father and take Adam into custody.
The timer on the box expires. Another gremlin emerges, crawls outside, and grows to a size as big as the house. The enormous monster then combats police on the front lawn.
Charlie runs back inside the house. Adam wrestles free to go after the boy and Detective Patterson soon follows. Adam points Patterson to the box. When Patterson picks it up, the timer resets. The creature outside returns to its smaller form, comes inside, and crawls back into the box. With the curse seemingly passed to him, Patterson looks at Adam in astonishment while still holding the bo
Powers/Abilities
- Sharp Appendages: The Gremlins's main weapon are it's sharp appendages that it walks on.
- Teleportation: While in the box, it can appear anywhere to be closer to it's target.
- Growth: When the timer on the box counts up, the Gremlin grows into a two-story tall creature.
- Multiplication: Whenever the Gremlin gets killed, another one would come out of the box.
Kills
- Lisa Roberts: Tackles her and kills her.(Not shown)
- Mary Roberts: Stabbed in the chest.
- Tyler Cook: Stabbed from the back of the head and through the mouth.
- Anna Thatcher: Stabbed in the stomach and cheek bitten.
- Natalie Rose: Throat slit open.
- Julie Thatcher: Gremlin rips out her stomach.
- Jim Roberts: Both Eyes stabbed.
- Police Officer #1: Stepped on when the Gremlin was huge.
- Police Officer #2: Upper body bitten off.