8 Films With "Subtle" Messages (That Are REALLY Obvious)
3. Gremlins
At first, Billy's new pet Gizmo looks all fluffy and sweet, but he soon spawns plenty of weird little lookalikes who are meaner and naughtier than him. Left unsupervised, they ransack the place, scoff all the food in a forbidden midnight feast, and turn into manic, aggressive little agents of anarchy. When they get wet, everything gets worse...
Gremlins couldn't be a bolder metaphor for puberty if it was covered in zits and wearing braces.
The Gremlins delight in stupidity and lawlessness. They can't distinguish between partying and causing havoc; they don't see a difference between fun and destruction. Gremlins is a story about transformation and chaos; about the family and Billy's maturity. When the Gremlins are dealt with, he is finally a man and he has dealt with his insecurities - his 'gremlins', if you will.
Maybe there's a broader way to interpret Gremlins as a story about the demon that lives within us all; the interior monster that wants to break all the rules. Maybe that's taking it a bit too seriously. But there's definitely a coming-of-age story mixed in with all the flying goo and maniacal giggling.