Ghoulies was inspired by the Gremlins. It was a carbon copy.
Vincent Canby of The New York Times dismissed the film as "a cut-rate 'Gremlins'" with "unexceptional performances" and "a lot of badly simulated gore". Variety wrote that the film "has a quaint corniness about it, as of it were a cheapie horror movie from the 1950s ... Special effects and production values are mediocre, which in this case is part of the fun".Michael Wilmington of the Los Angeles Times wrote: "Cinematographer Mac Ahlberg contributes eerily lit camera work that occasionally achieves surprising atmosphere and delicacy, and John Carl Buechler's creations, the ghoulies themselves—foul, reptilian little beings coated with some obscene glittering, mucous-like moisture—have a certain nauseating charm. From there, however, it's a steep slide downhill". Kim Newman of The Monthly Film Bulletin called it "an unashamed rip-off which contrives to ignore its obvious inspiration (Gremlins) and comes up with yet another prime example of the comic book-ish vitality, wit and simplicity which has become Band's trademark".
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an 8% approval rating, based on 13 reviews.
