The Mangler

An ordinary laundry facility becomes the setting for a terrifying mystery when a hulking industrial dryer seems to move on its own and attacks. In a sleepy town, a routine shift at the plant spirals into deadly accidents that defy explanation. Local lawman John Hunton is pulled into the case as the machine's behavior grows more violent and inexplicable. What starts as strange noises and inexplicable malfunctions soon escalates into a full blown search for a malevolent force behind the metal and motor. The people around the facility live in fear, wondering whether the next load is a trap or a ticket to safety. The film pairs practical effects with a creeping sense of dread to keep the tension high.

Directed by Tobe Hooper, The Mangler adapts a Stephen King short story with input from Stephen David Brooks and Harry Alan Towers. Released in 1995, horror thriller pairs practical effects with a procedural feel as an appliance grinds into action.

At the box office The Mangler earned about 1.78 million worldwide, a modest haul for a mid 1990s horror release. The numbers reflect a limited theatrical run and the film finding its audience mainly among genre fans over time, quietly.

Although it never sparked a cultural wave, The Mangler has a small, dedicated following among horror fans who value its practical effects and Hooper's tense filmmaking. The idea of a mundane laundry machine going berserk sits as a peculiar entry in Stephen King adaptations and a quirky cult moment today.

Critics greeted it with mixed to negative reactions, noting uneven pacing and a bland score, though Hooper's practical effects earned a few nods. The movie probes fear of automation and corrupted industry, pairing a workmanlike setting with a steadily escalating menace while anchoring tension in character resilience, not just gore.