Publication Date: 10-31-2025

Tremors: Shrieker Island (2020) review

Dir. Don Michael Paul

By: Steve Pulaski

Rating: ★★★

Being a superfan of Tremors since I was a child, I would’ve never dreamt that I’d see three sequels 11 years after the fourth film in 2004. Needless to say, the latest sequels haven’t been the best the franchise has had to offer (mostly far from it), but they’ve been Tremors nonetheless. You take the good with the bad in these situations, and maybe as a fan I’ve settled in some respects.

However, I’m elated to report that Tremors: Shrieker Island is far and away the best of the new sequels. Lively yet poignant, charming but commemorative, it encapsulates the wackiness the series has maintained since its inception 30 years ago while treating us to another delightful Graboid-hunting excursion. This time around, Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) is called out of retirement by a group of seismologists who are monitoring unforeseen seismic activity on a remote island near Thailand. There, a deadly hunt Graboid hunt is taking place, spearheaded by a nutcase geneticist named Bill (Richard Brake), who hosts a group of elites seeking a thrill in the form of trophy hunting. These aren’t just any Graboids; they’re genetically modified worms with unmatched tunneling abilities. We learn that one managed to swallow an 11-ton elephant, a feat so incredulous that it stretches even the realm of possibilities in a belated Tremors sequel.

Burt reluctantly travels to the island where he rekindles with an old flame named Jas (Caroline Langrishe), who is now working as a biologist alongside colleagues Jimmy (Jon Heder, Burt’s best sidekick since Christopher Gartin) and Freddie (Jackie Cruz, who makes you wish she was incorporated in the previous films). More troubles arises when the group learns that the Graboids have molted, as they’re prone to do, into their equally hideous brethren known as Shriekers — stout, bipedal creatures capable of using heat-seeking abilities to find prey. Oh, and to Burt’s chagrin, there are no guns on the island whatsoever.

It’s refreshing that Tremors: Shrieker Island adopts a slowburn approach to the plot that permits us time to get familiar with the characters and their interplay. Graboid biology comes heavily into play in the first act, and any longtime fan of this series will be elated that we don’t rush into things. We take time to traverse the setting, witness the insanity of Bill, and buddy-up to Jimmy and Freddie, charismatic additions.

Tremors: Shrieker Island does the inevitable in the climax. Nonetheless, I still found myself unprepared for it; nearly emotional. Such a large portion of this film is focused on Burt coming to grips with his own legacy, by way of patching things up with Jas along with informing Bill he doesn’t see himself as a person who has survived numerous encounters with Graboids but rather someone who has simply “gotten lucky.” The closing credits replay some of the most fun moments from the previous films as if to remind you of the lasting memories this series has instilled in us die-hards. Furthermore, the climax effectively pays homage to the first film as it’s orchestrated similarly where a cliff and reliable running legs are the characters’ last hopes at eradicating the Graboids — at least on this patch of land.

Tremors: Shrieker Island should be the final sequel barring Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, and Reba McEntire change their tunes and are willing to return down the road. If not, this should be a wrap like a mummy. We don’t need the series retconned. We don’t need second-rate actors playing characters detached from the events of the previous films. And we certainly don’t need a legion of spinoffs ala American Pie. Universal’s move to have the series take the direction this film does suggests they too after 30 years are ready to pull the plug on the franchise. I got my wish to see the series revived. Misgivings and all, I’m elated it came to fruition. We’ve come a long way as fans of the series, much like the ever-changing mythology of these subterranean creatures, but now it’s time to look towards the tried and true predecessors for our Graboid fix.

NOTE: Take a listen to my interview with Michael Gross, where we talk all things Tremors, how and why Universal revived the series in 2015, and why rights issues makes the future of the franchise murky:

NOTE II: Check out my review of Tremors: Shrieker Island on my web-show Sleepless with Steve:

My review of Tremors (1990)
My review of Tremors II: Aftershocks
My review of Tremors 3: Back to Perfection
My review of Tremors 4: The Legend Begins
My review of Tremors 5: Bloodlines
My review of Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell

Starring: Michael Gross, Jon Heder, Richard Brake, Jackie Cruz, Caroline Langrishe, Cassie Clare, and Sahajak Boonthanakit. Directed by: Don Michael Paul.