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The Burrowers

The Burrowers

Evil will surface.

200896 minRMidcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Director
J.T. Petty
Starring
Doug Hutchison, Clancy Brown, William Mapother, Karl Geary

It is 1879 in the Dakota Territories, a band of men who set out to find and recover a family of settlers that has mysteriously vanished from their home. Expecting the offenders to be a band of fierce natives, but they soon discover that the real enemy stalks them from below.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Burrowers?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Burrowers streaming on MovieSphere+ via Prime Video, Prime Video, STARZ and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Burrowers?

The Burrowers earns 3 badges, led by Unsettling and Broadly Agreed.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is The Burrowers worth watching?

The Burrowers' Midcredits score is the 33rd percentile of all films, from 17K ratings across 4 sources. 35% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

33rd percentile

Better received than 33% of films

29th percentile among Drama32nd percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)37th
Approval (how many liked it)30th

58 /100

37th percentile of all films

34th percentile among Drama37th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.8 — solid but not unanimous.

35% liked it

30th percentile of all films

26th percentile among Drama28th percentile among 2000s
35% rated it 7–1065% rated it 1–6

Critics 75% · Audience 35%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 4 noms overall

83rd percentile

17K ratings across platforms

85th percentile among Drama75th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 6% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$7M

What reviewers say

Common ground

A slow-burn western creature feature with a grim, downbeat tone and more focus on human conflict than monster action.

Fans praised

  • western atmosphere and authentic period detail
  • unique creature design with creative feeding methods
  • serious blend of western and horror genres

Detractors panned

  • lethargic pacing with minimal monster screen time
  • unsatisfying, bleak ending
  • weak creature effects and muddy night photography

What stands out

AtmosphereDivisive72

gritty, desolate frontier tone; dread of being buried alive

Acting68

solid performances from Clancy Brown, Karl Geary; Doug Hutchison noted as over-the-top

OriginalityDivisive65

unusual western-creature hybrid; feels derivative of Tremors

TensionDivisive55

suspense built early but deflated by slow pace and minimal creature reveals

CharactersDivisive53

thin character development; stereotypes of racist captain, token black cook

Effects and spectacleDivisive45

practical creature suits decent; dodgy CGI and poor visibility

EndingDivisive38

unsatisfying, abrupt climax; anticlimactic final confrontation

Pacing33

very slow first two-thirds; too little monster action

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 6 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Burrowers like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be scared.

It is intense and leaves you unsettled. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDread
Heaviest: late
Register
Bleak · 8% of filmsBrooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film holds its horror-western material straight, without winking at the audience, and maintains a consistently bleak and somber register.
The rideThe film sustains a high level of tension and dread from the initial attack, building to a bleak and violent climax. The emotional weight is concentrated in the late stretch as the tragedies accumulate.
StructureThe narrative unfolds chronologically, from the abduction through the search and the discovery of the Burrowers, with no structural experimentation.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

UnsettlingDevastating · 3% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe bleak outcome and failure of the rescue leave an uneasy, hollow feeling.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% (this title) · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story follows a search party formed to rescue a kidnapped family, but they encounter subterranean monsters that become the true threat, making it a monster-hunter survival plot.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% (this title) · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

SurvivalRevenge · 4% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the struggle to survive against a monstrous predator while also interrogating the theme of otherness, as the settlers wrongly blame Native Americans and the Burrowers are themselves driven by ecological desperation. Revenge motivates the protagonist but leads to further tragedy.
StanceThe film interrogates the theme of otherness and the cycle of violence, showing how fear and prejudice lead to tragedy for both the settlers and the Native Americans, while the Burrowers themselves are presented as a natural force driven by ecological necessity.

The world

19th centuryRuralWilderness
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Joseph LoDuca
SettingThe Dakota Territory in 1879, a frontier landscape of prairie and pioneer homesteads.
MusicThe score uses sparse orchestration and unsettling tones to enhance the sense of dread and isolation.

Content guide

Is The Burrowers okay for kids?

R

The Burrowers is rated R: “Rated R for violence and gore” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (76/100), sexual content at minimal (3/100), language at intense (65/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (47/100) and frightening material at intense (64/100). Overall it is heavier than 45% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 3 other countries
  • UK15
  • CanadaR
  • Sweden15
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 67% of all filmsHeavier than 45% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 59%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 1%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 47%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 62%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 54%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence, language, and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Burrowers have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Burrowers?

Cast

4 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Doug Hutchison
as Henry Victor
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Clancy Brown
as John Clay
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
William Mapother
as William Parcher
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Karl Geary
as Fergus Coffey
Jocelin Donahue
as Maryanne Stewart
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Laura Leighton
as Gertrude Spacks
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
David Busse
as Young Bluecoat
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Alexandra Edmo
as Faith
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Brighid Fleming
as Little Sister
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Christopher Hagen
as Father
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Burrowers?

Movies like The Burrowers include Prophecy (1979), The Wasteland (2021) and Dark Floors (2008). Of the 12 closest matches, most are stories about monsters, and most are stories about a predator on the loose.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its story type: creature feature. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Burrowers?

1.4K other films share the rarest tag below, premise: expedition. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.