--- title: "Cocoon" year: 1985 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/cocoon" fi1m_id: "cocoon" imdb_id: "tt0088933" tmdb_id: 10328 wikidata_id: "Q1105463" fi1m_score: 75 critics_score: 72 critics_reviews: 8 published: "2026-10-04T19:00:29.930625+00:00" updated: "2026-10-04T19:00:42.807733+00:00" region: "RS" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Cocoon (1985) Directed by Ron Howard · 1h 57m · Comedy, Science Fiction, Mystery, Drama ## Identity Cocoon - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/cocoon - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** cocoon - **IMDb ID:** tt0088933 - **TMDB ID:** 10328 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1105463 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088933/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10328, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1105463 **Fi1m score: 75** · Critics 72 from 8 reviews *In a sentence:* Don Ameche deserves the attention; the aliens can wait their turn > *Cocoon* is a warm, funny science-fiction fantasy whose older cast makes the sentiment worth tolerating. Ron Howard presses too hard for reassurance, but Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley and Hume Cronyn give it life. ## Synopsis Arthur Selwyn (Don Ameche), Benjamin Luckett (Wilford Brimley) and Joseph Finley (Hume Cronyn) are ageing residents whose lives become entangled with a mystery involving alien cocoons. The ensemble also includes Mary Luckett (Maureen Stapleton) and Alma Finley (Jessica Tandy). The story follows the older residents as a science-fiction encounter opens up possibilities beyond the lives they know. Their companionship and concerns about ageing remain central, with comedy and drama sharing space with the mystery surrounding the cocoons. ## Review *Cocoon* is good company, provided we can forgive a film for being so determined to cheer us up. Ron Howard makes a science-fiction comedy that gives its older actors room to be funny, awkward and affectionate, and that generosity does most of the work. The fantasy is easy to accept because the people make it worth accepting. Our reservation is the persistence of the reassurance: the director sometimes seems unwilling to leave a feeling alone until he has made it comfortable. Don Ameche, as Arthur Selwyn, has the lightness the film needs, finding pleasure in attention without turning every moment into an appeal for affection. Wilford Brimley’s Benjamin Luckett supplies a firmer presence, while Hume Cronyn gives Joseph Finley a quickness that keeps the exchanges lively. We were moved more than we expected by the three of them together. Their amusement and impatience with one another suggest friendships that do not need to be explained at length. Tom Benedek’s screenplay is strongest when it lets that interplay carry the comedy. These characters need not distribute wisdom whenever somebody younger enters, and the actors make good use of that freedom. This matters in a genre often content to make older people kindly witnesses to somebody else’s adventure. Here we want to spend time with them, even when the science-fiction business is asking for our attention. Donald Peterman’s cinematography makes the fantasy welcoming, although the visual softness can become another way of telling us not to worry. Jack T. Collis’s production design is similarly unthreatening: the science fiction feels close enough to everyday life for these people to belong in it. Both serve the director’s wish to keep the human company more interesting than the strange objects. We would welcome a little more unease, but a harsher look might also work against the actors’ ease. James Horner’s music is less discreet, and its insistence is the most wearing part of the film. It presses the tenderness when the performances have already made the point, reducing our freedom to feel something less tidy. Daniel P. Hanley and Mike Hill give the ensemble breathing space in the editing, which is welcome. At 117 minutes, though, the film has more time for its sentimental insistence than it needs. The younger performers have a harder assignment. Steve Guttenberg, as Jack Bonner, and Tahnee Welch, as Kitty, cannot make their parts as involving as the older characters, though the imbalance is not entirely theirs to solve. The director keeps finding his most persuasive material in faces that need little explanation. When attention shifts away from them, we become more aware of how carefully the film is arranging our response. There is nothing embarrassing about wanting a film to make us feel better. The difficulty here is that reassurance sometimes arrives before a less comfortable feeling has had time to register. Still, the affection between these performers gives the sweetness enough substance to earn an evening. Choose it for the older cast, with a tolerance for being reassured more often than necessary. *Fi1m score 75, published 4 October 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics respond warmly to Cocoon’s blend of science fiction, human drama and wish fulfilment. Praise centres on the older ensemble, whose spirited performances give the fantasy its emotional weight. The reviews repeatedly credit the film with affection for its ageing characters, and several find that its humour and tenderness make the sentimentality work. Ron Howard’s handling of the human story attracts more consistent enthusiasm than the spectacle, with the residents’ lives providing the strongest connection to the alien premise. The reservations concern how much sweetness the story can sustain, alongside effects that some find dated. Empire acknowledges the heavy sentimentality but finds enough warmth and acting quality to recommend it, particularly in Don Ameche’s performance. Slant Magazine is more resistant, finding the film cloying and commercially hollow while still enjoying the older actors’ interplay. The spread runs from strong enthusiasm to mixed responses, rather than outright rejection. ## Straight answers **Is Cocoon worth watching?** *Cocoon* is worth watching for its funny, affectionate older cast, and we score it 75 out of 100. Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley and Hume Cronyn make the science-fiction fantasy matter; we recommend it for their company, with a tolerance for Ron Howard’s persistent reassurance and music that presses feelings the performances already convey. **How long is Cocoon, and what is it rated?** *Cocoon* runs 1h 57m. It is a comedy and science fiction film. **Where can I watch Cocoon in Serbia?** *Cocoon* is not on any streaming or rental service in Serbia at the moment. Availability is checked daily. **How does Cocoon compare to The Straight Story?** *Cocoon* offers a more insistently reassuring science-fiction fantasy than [*The Straight Story*](https://film.one/film/the-straight-story), whose patient road journey earns its warmth with less prompting. We prefer *The Straight Story* for its restraint and Richard Farnsworth’s unforced performance, though some roadside wisdom feels prepared; *Cocoon* suits an evening when affectionate ensemble comedy matters more than quiet observation. **What should I watch after Cocoon?** After *Cocoon*, try [*Batteries Not Included*](https://film.one/film/batteries-not-included) (1987, Fi1m 63): More elderly company and visiting aliens, with much the same forgiving warmth. Then [*The Straight Story*](https://film.one/film/the-straight-story) (1999, Fi1m 88): For the patience, dignity and humour that sentiment can too easily smother; and [*After Life*](https://film.one/film/after-life) (1998, Fi1m 85): A quieter fantasy about what people value when time becomes a question. ### Reviews we read (8) - **Los Angeles Times**, SHEILA BENSON (90/100, inferred): Benson finds the film a sly, generous wish-fulfillment story whose optimistic ending earns its emotional impact. She praises the ensemble’s performances and Howard’s blend of wit, tenderness, and humanity. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-06-21-ca-11707-story.html) - **Radio Times**, John Ferguson (4/5): Ferguson praises the film as an effective blend of human drama and science fiction, with a feel-good appeal. He singles out the veteran cast’s sharp, spirited performances, which outshine the younger leads. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-65zxn3/cocoon/) - **Variety**, Variety Staff (80/100, inferred): The review finds the film mesmerizing and inventive. It especially praises how the galaxy fantasy is woven together with the lives of the aging residents. [Read](https://variety.com/1984/film/reviews/cocoon-1200426624/) - **Empire**, Ian Nathan (70/100, inferred): Nathan gives the film a positive verdict despite its heavy sentimentality. He singles out the warmth of the story and the elderly cast’s performances, especially Don Ameche’s. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/cocoon-review/) - **Time Out**, WFJ (64/100, inferred): The available page metadata does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It describes the alien cocoons central to the film’s premise but does not identify anything the critic praises or complains about. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/cocoon) - **Slant Magazine**, Chris Cabin (2.5/5): Cabin finds the film harmless but ultimately cloying and commercially hollow. He praises the lively, sometimes touching interplay among Ameche, Cronyn, and Brimley. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/cocoon/) - **Eye for Film**, Gabriella Trybalska (75/100, inferred): Trybalska treats the film as an affectionate, sentimental classic that remains entertaining despite its dated effects. She especially praises the performances of the distinguished older cast and Ron Howard’s restraint with CGI. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/cocoon-film-review-by-gabriella-trybalska) - **Collider**, Germain Lussier (70/100, inferred): Lussier finds that the film remains an emotionally effective, enjoyable ride despite its dated elements, and says fans will be happy with the Blu-ray. He singles out the excellent picture transfer, while criticizing the short, studio-made featurettes as disappointing extras. [Read](https://collider.com/cocoon-25th-anniversary-blu-ray-review/) ## Details - **Director:** Ron Howard - **Director:** Ron Howard - **Screenplay:** Tom Benedek - **Story:** David Saperstein - **Cinematography:** Donald Peterman - **Editor:** Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill - **Music:** James Horner - **Production design:** Jack T. Collis - **Costume design:** Aggie Guerard Rodgers - **Producer:** David Brown, Lili Fini Zanuck, Richard D. Zanuck - **Cast:** Steve Guttenberg as Jack Bonner; Tahnee Welch as Kitty; Brian Dennehy as Walter; Don Ameche as Arthur Selwyn; Wilford Brimley as Benjamin Luckett; Hume Cronyn as Joseph Finley; Maureen Stapleton as Mary Luckett; Jack Gilford as Bernie Lefkowitz - **Runtime:** 1h 57m - **First release (the US):** 21 June 1985 - **Genres:** Comedy, Science Fiction, Mystery, Drama - **Also in:** [Golden Globe Best Musical or Comedy winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-comedy.md) (Nominee, 1985) - **Budget:** $18 million - **Box office:** $85 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zohgyAAKF6M ## Where to watch in Serbia Not streaming, renting or buying in Serbia at the last check. ## Awards - Academy Awards 1986: Best Supporting Actor (won); Best Visual Effects (won) - Hugo Awards 1986: Best Dramatic Presentation (nominated) - Saturn Awards 1986: Best Director (won) - Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay 1986: Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay (nominated) - Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film 1985: Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film (nominated) - Golden Globes 1985: Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (nominated) ## If you liked this - *Batteries Not Included* (1987), Fi1m 63: More elderly company and visiting aliens, with much the same forgiving warmth. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/batteries-not-included.md) - *The Straight Story* (1999), Fi1m 88: For the patience, dignity and humour that sentiment can too easily smother. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-straight-story.md) - *Robot & Frank* (2012): Ageing meets science fiction again, with sharper mischief and less emotional prompting. - *After Life* (1998), Fi1m 85: A quieter fantasy about what people value when time becomes a question. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/after-life.md) - *A Matter of Life and Death* (1946), Fi1m 92: Another humane fantasy that takes improbable rules and ordinary human attachment seriously. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-matter-of-life-and-death.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/cocoon