The Swarm 1978

imdb-logo 4.5 / 10

The Swarm

Scientist Dr. Bradford Crane and army general Thalius Slater join forces to fight an almost invisible enemy threatening America; killer bees that have deadly venom and attack without reason. Disaster movie-master Irwin Allen's film contains spectacular special effects, including a train crash caused by the eponymous swarm.

Scientist Dr. Bradford Crane and army general Thalius Slater join forces to fight an almost invisible enemy threatening America; killer bees that have deadly venom and attack without reason. Disaster movie-master Irwin Allen's film contains spectacular special effects, including a train crash caused by the eponymous swarm.

Videos & Photos

All 3 Videos & 13 Photos

... Brad Crane

... Capt. Helena Anderson

... Gen. Thaddeus Slater

... Dr. Hubbard

... Maureen Schuester

User reviews

See All 1 Reviews

23 Jun 2021 by Ragnar_Danneskjöld

Before we had Murder Hornets...We had THE SWARM!!!! In the 70s, this was one of the media's tools to terrify the populace. Unbelievably as it may seem, when released this movie scared the pants off of America in the same way that Jaws did when it made it to the theaters. The Killer Bee swarms in South America, created in cross-breeding African and Western Honeybees, of course had to share the stage with the other big threats of the day: The Upcoming Global Ice Age and Nuclear Power Plant disasters, both of which also made minor appearances in this film. Nevertheless, the fashionable fear in 1978 was bees and Hollywood was there to make sure YOU got the message that Man was bad and Nature would soon kick his ass. That asides, the movie in itself now is laughable, no better than the Global Warming Fear Films that the SyFy channel (AKA NBC) churns out today. The movie passes well beyond the level of believable when train passenger cars explode as they roll down a hill, the nuclear plant explodes like an atomic bomb killing 36 thousand people or when the military decides to burn Houston like Sherman did Atlanta, even though the bee swarms are not inside buildings or cars. The over-the-top fiction that even 2 stings from these bees will kill you, even though Science (oh, doesn't the Left like to laud that term up on a pedestal when it suits their agenda) knew at the time that the level of toxin in this new strain of bee was no more lethal than that of the average Honeybee. Rather, it was their aggressiveness in tracking threats and ruthlessness of their attack, compared to normal bees, that was the true fact of concern. The movie does bring a grade A cast to the table and most of the performances are respectable, although I did find the fact that Michael Caine liked to explode and shout through scenes rather disconcerting and over-dramatic. There are plenty of other situations that make no sense, like Henry Fonda's character using himself for a guinea pig when he's the only one who can work on a serum or Michael Caine breaking out a pane of glass to gain entry to a locked building, when people were already inside who could have opened the door, when the bees were attacking the town (and now had easy access to all the people in the building via the broken glass). Unlike the other disaster films of that decade, The Swarm doesn't even come close to being a serious threat and is little more than an inconvenient buzzing in the ear of the audience.

Directors:

Irwin Allen

Release Date:

Jul 14, 1978 (United States)

Run Time:

1hr 56`

MMPA Rating:

PG

Original Language:

English

Production Countries:

United States

Status:

Released

Related Movies To

The Swarm

Write Review

Found 1 reviews in total

23 Jun 2021 by Ragnar_Danneskjöld

Before we had Murder Hornets...We had THE SWARM!!!! In the 70s, this was one of the media's tools to terrify the populace. Unbelievably as it may seem, when released this movie scared the pants off of America in the same way that Jaws did when it made it to the theaters. The Killer Bee swarms in South America, created in cross-breeding African and Western Honeybees, of course had to share the stage with the other big threats of the day: The Upcoming Global Ice Age and Nuclear Power Plant disasters, both of which also made minor appearances in this film. Nevertheless, the fashionable fear in 1978 was bees and Hollywood was there to make sure YOU got the message that Man was bad and Nature would soon kick his ass. That asides, the movie in itself now is laughable, no better than the Global Warming Fear Films that the SyFy channel (AKA NBC) churns out today. The movie passes well beyond the level of believable when train passenger cars explode as they roll down a hill, the nuclear plant explodes like an atomic bomb killing 36 thousand people or when the military decides to burn Houston like Sherman did Atlanta, even though the bee swarms are not inside buildings or cars. The over-the-top fiction that even 2 stings from these bees will kill you, even though Science (oh, doesn't the Left like to laud that term up on a pedestal when it suits their agenda) knew at the time that the level of toxin in this new strain of bee was no more lethal than that of the average Honeybee. Rather, it was their aggressiveness in tracking threats and ruthlessness of their attack, compared to normal bees, that was the true fact of concern. The movie does bring a grade A cast to the table and most of the performances are respectable, although I did find the fact that Michael Caine liked to explode and shout through scenes rather disconcerting and over-dramatic. There are plenty of other situations that make no sense, like Henry Fonda's character using himself for a guinea pig when he's the only one who can work on a serum or Michael Caine breaking out a pane of glass to gain entry to a locked building, when people were already inside who could have opened the door, when the bees were attacking the town (and now had easy access to all the people in the building via the broken glass). Unlike the other disaster films of that decade, The Swarm doesn't even come close to being a serious threat and is little more than an inconvenient buzzing in the ear of the audience.

Cast & Crew of

The Swarm

Directors & Credit Writers

... Director

Cast

... Brad Crane

... Capt. Helena Anderson

... Gen. Thaddeus Slater

... Dr. Hubbard

... Maureen Schuester

... Anne MacGregor

... Dr. Andrews

... Jud Hawkins

... Maj. Baker

... Maj. Clarance Tuttle

... Dr. Walter Krim

... Gen. Thompson

... Paul Durant

... Dr. Newman

... Dr. Martinez

... Pete Harris

... Woman Scientist

... Mrs. Durant

Produced By

... Casting

... Production Manager

... Producer

Videos & Photos of

The Swarm

Videos ( 3)

Photos ( 13 )

Related Movies To

The Swarm

Found 12 Movies in total

poster-Ballerina
Ballerina (2025)

0 /10

Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Eve Macarro begins her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.

Run Time: 2hr 5` . MMPA: R . Release: 04 Jun 2025

Director: Matej Kricner , Len Wiseman , Chad Stahelski

Producer: Erica Lee , Basil Iwanyk , Keanu Reeves

Stars: Ana de Armas , Ian McShane , Anjelica Huston , Norman Reedus , Keanu Reeves , Lance Reddick

poster-Thunderbolts*
Thunderbolts* (2025)

0 /10

After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, seven disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.

Run Time: 2hr 7` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 30 Apr 2025

Director: Jeremy Silveira , Jeff Okabayashi , Jake Schreier

Producer: Sarah Halley Finn , Allana Williams , Victoria Alonso

Stars: Sebastian Stan , Florence Pugh , David Harbour , Wyatt Russell , Olga Kurylenko , Hannah John-Kamen

poster-Ice Road: Vengeance
Ice Road: Vengeance (2025)

0 /10

Big rig ice road driver Mike McCann travels to Nepal to scatter his late brother’s ashes on Mt. Everest. While on a packed tour bus traversing the deadly 12,000 ft. terrain of the infamous Road to the Sky, McCann and his mountain guide encounter a group of mercenaries and must fight to save themselves, the busload of innocent travelers, and the local villagers’ homeland.

Run Time: 1hr 53` . MMPA: R . Release: 27 Jun 2025

Director: Jonathan Hensleigh

Producer: Bart Rosenblatt , Myles Nestel , Lee Nelson

Stars: Liam Neeson , Fan Bingbing , Mahesh Jadu , Marcus Thomas , Bernard Curry , Michala Banas

poster-Heads of State
Heads of State (2025)

0 /10

The UK Prime Minister and US President have a public rivalry that risks their countries' alliance. But when they become targets of a powerful enemy, they're forced to rely on each other as they go on a wild, multinational run. Allied with Noel, a brilliant MI6 agent, they must find a way to thwart a conspiracy that threatens the free world.

Run Time: 1hr 53` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 02 Jul 2025

Director: Matthew Sharp , Ilya Naishuller , Jo Beckett

Producer: John Rickard , Peter Safran , Idris Elba

Stars: Idris Elba , John Cena , Priyanka Chopra Jonas , Paddy Considine , Stephen Root , Carla Gugino

poster-Jurassic World Rebirth
Jurassic World Rebirth (2025)

0 /10

Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, covert operations expert Zora Bennett is contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world's three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora's operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that's been hidden from the world for decades.

Run Time: 2hr 14` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 01 Jul 2025

Director: Ben Cooke , David Vickery , David Leitch

Producer: Kelly McCormick , Patrick Crowley , Winston Azzopardi

Stars: Scarlett Johansson , Jonathan Bailey , Manuel Garcia-Rulfo , Rupert Friend , Richard Gadd , Mahershala Ali

poster-First Shift
First Shift (2024)

0 /10

NYPD veteran Mike and rookie Angela tackle a high-stakes day on New York's toughest streets, diving headfirst into a vortex of danger and action. Their adrenaline-fueled pursuits and unexpected threats unfold as they navigate perilous encounters. Amidst the chaos, intense challenges forge unbreakable bonds.

Run Time: 1hr 29` . MMPA: . Release: 30 Aug 2024

Director: Phillip Rush , Uwe Boll , Béla Baptiste

Producer: Anthony Argento , Ari Taub , Uwe Boll

Stars: Kristen Renton , Gino Anthony Pesi , Garry Pastore , James McMenamin , Willie C. Carpenter , Michael Emery

poster-The Cult
The Cult (2024)

0 /10

When a young woman relocates to a small town in Europe, she notices the place has something weird. As time goes by, she starts to fear for her life. Based on actual events and in the book the day she became plastic.

Run Time: 1hr 30` . MMPA: . Release: 01 Jun 2024

Director: Alexandre Alonso

Producer:

Stars:

poster-Bring Her Back
Bring Her Back (2025)

0 /10

Following the death of their father, a brother and sister are introduced to their new sibling by their foster mother, only to learn that she has a terrifying secret.

Run Time: 1hr 44` . MMPA: R . Release: 28 May 2025

Director: Rebecca King , Sarah Vaughan , Michael Philippou

Producer: Carly Maple , Michael Philippou , Nikki Barrett

Stars: Sally Hawkins , Billy Barratt , Jonah Wren Phillips , Sally-Anne Upton , Stephen Phillips , Sora Wong

poster-Final Destination Bloodlines
Final Destination Bloodlines (2025)

0 /10

Plagued by a violent recurring nightmare, college student Stefanie heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle and save her family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them all.

Run Time: 1hr 50` . MMPA: R . Release: 14 May 2025

Director: Dominic Dobrzensky , Melissa Dotto , Morgan Beggs

Producer: Toby Emmerich , Sara Brown , Chrissy Mozylisky

Stars: Tony Todd , Melissa Barrera , Anna Lore , Renata Vaca , Quintessa Swindell , Mary Elizabeth Winstead

poster-Lilo & Stitch
Lilo & Stitch (2025)

0 /10

The wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family.

Run Time: 1hr 48` . MMPA: PG . Release: 17 May 2025

Director: Aldric La'Auli Porter , Stephanie Tull , Dean Fleischer Camp

Producer: Leigh Shanta , Jonathan Eirich , Aldric La'Auli Porter

Stars: Chris Sanders , Maia Kealoha , Zach Galifianakis , Billy Magnussen , Sydney Agudong , Courtney B. Vance

poster-Santa Isn't Real
Santa Isn't Real (2023)

0 /10

After suffering a brutal attack on Christmas Eve, Nikki struggles to convince her friends that the assailant was none other than Ol' Kris Kringle. When Santa returns to terrorize the group in their remote cabin the next Christmas, Nikki and her friends must overcome disbelief as they fight to stay alive.

Run Time: 1hr 16` . MMPA: R . Release: 08 Dec 2023

Director: Zac Locke

Producer: Jordan Michaud-Scorza

Stars: Scarlett Sperduto , Kaya Coleman , Dana Millican , Cissy Ly , Michelle Damis , William Earl Ray

poster-The Ritual
The Ritual (2025)

0 /10

Two priests, one in crisis with his faith and the other confronting a turbulent past, must overcome their differences to perform a risky exorcism.

Run Time: 1hr 38` . MMPA: NR . Release: 18 Apr 2025

Director: Savannah Belcher , David Midell , Ruben Mazzoleni

Producer: Ross Kagan Marks , Rick Moore , Nick Spicer

Stars: Al Pacino , Dan Stevens , Ashley Greene , Abigail Cowen , Patricia Heaton , Patrick Fabian