One of my favorite musicals and one of the first I ever watched as a kid next to The Sound of Music, Little Shop Of Horrors follows a flower shop assistant named Seymour (Rick Moranis) who discovers an unusual plant that he brings to the shop and puts on display, which attracts a great deal of business for the previously struggling store.
He names it Audrey II, after his co-worker and love interest Audrey (Ellen Greene), but he soon discovers the plant requires human blood in order to grow. It grows so large that it gains the ability to talk (and sing) and says that it requires much more than drops of blood to keep growing, which forces Seymour to resort to horrible measures.
This Broadway musical has hit the hearts and minds of many people around the world due to its quirky characters, outrageous humor, unique themes and even some of the dark aspects of it.
Frank Oz directed and adapted the musical into a film in 1986 and it was loved by both critics and audiences. The film translates mostly everything from the musical so well, while also standing out by having its own charm, thanks to the wonderfully chosen cast and set design.
The characters are ones you’ve seen before in other films, having the usual tropes like the hopeless romantic underdog, the damsel that pines for the underdog, the angry boss, and the bully. But what differentiates this from other stories with similar tropes is the charm of the cast and the dark twists made to each character. And on top of that you also have the plant as a character who changes up everything.
Rick Moranis as the meek Seymour is a lovable lead that you root for the whole movie and feel terrified for when he is forced to commit dark acts. Ellen Greene as Audrey is also a lovable character and the chemistry she has with Seymour is wholesome and cute. I can see some people being annoyed by her character only because of her voice, but I was able to accept it because of how likable the character was.
Mr. Mushnik played by Vincent Gardenia is your typical angry boss but he still delivers a fun performance. Steve Martin is Orin, playing perhaps one of the best and most hilarious roles he’s ever had as a demented dentist who is addicted to nitrous oxide. It looks just as funny in the film as it sounds. But don’t get me wrong, he is an absolute asshole who abuses poor Audrey and so he kind of deserves what he gets.
And then you have Audrey II, voiced iconically by Levi Stubbs. It’s such a memorable voice that it makes the plant stand out as his own character rather than an object to propel the plot. It’s also worth noting that the puppeteering for Audrey II is absolutely spectacular and has still aged well.
There are also some fun cameos in the film has that deliver some great laughs. The musical numbers are all fantastic and the sets they happen on are all so well built that you feel like you are part of the show. And while this can be a fun and funny movie, it doesn’t shy away from some seriously dark and mature moments. This film does cut down on some of the horror moments from the original musical, but there are scenes still present that are shocking but are executed brilliantly.
Perhaps the most discussed topic of this adaptation is the ending. If you are familiar with the original musical you know that the story ends in a dark and impactful way and it was originally going to be featured in this adaptation too. But after audiences at the preview screenings did not react positively to the dark ending, it was rewritten and re-shot for the theatrical release, resulting in the much happier ending this film had. However, if you watch this original ending, to me it really fits the dark tone the film has, and serves as a cautionary tale about power and greed. At the same time, it does mean that you lose the lovable characters that you have been rooting for throughout most of the film. Whichever ending you prefer is completely up to your taste, what you take away from the film depends on whether you were a diehard fan of the original musical.
Overall, though, this still remains one of the best, stand out musicals to ever come out, and it is definitely worth checking out. I’m going to give Little Shop Of Horrors an A.
One last thing! There has been talk recently of a remake in the works of Little Shop Of Horrors and has slated quite a talented cast to be in, it but my question to you all is: do you think it is necessary for a new theatrical adaptation to be made? And if so should they aim for the darker ending for the final cut unlike this adaptation? Leave your thoughts below!
Find more of Hugh Verheylewegen’s work on instagram and youtube!