Monsters by the millions - and they're all for real!
Scientist Dr. Bradford Crane and army general Thalius Slater join forces to fight an almost invisible enemy threatening America; killer bees that have deadly venom and attack without reason. Disaster movie-master Irwin Allen's film contains spectacular special effects, including a train crash caused by the eponymous swarm.
The Swarm (1978) is a science fiction and horror film directed by Irwin Allen, released on June 26, 1978 with a runtime of 1h 56m. It stars Michael Caine, Katharine Ross, Richard Widmark and Richard Chamberlain. Viewers rate it 5.0 out of 10 across 208 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The Swarm before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for The Swarm.
Trailer
Trailer
Michael Caine
as Brad Crane
Katharine Ross
as Helena
Richard Widmark
as General Slater
Richard Chamberlain
as Dr. Hubbard
Olivia de Havilland
as Maureen
Ben Johnson
as Felix
Lee Grant
as Anne MacGregor
José Ferrer
as Dr. Andrews
Patty Duke
as Rita
Slim Pickens
as Jud Hawkins
Bradford Dillman
as Major Baker
Fred MacMurray
as Clarence
Directed by Irwin Allen, written by Stirling Silliphant and Arthur Herzog III, produced by Irwin Allen.
Average viewer score of 5.0/10 from 208 ratings.
Before we had Murder Hornets...We had THE SWARM!!!! In the 70s, this was one of the media's tools to terrify the populace. Unbelievably as it may seem, when released this movie scared the pants off of America in the same way that Jaws did when it made it to the theaters. The Killer Bee swarms in South America, created in cross-breeding African and Western Honeybees, of course had to share the stage with the other…
Reviewed on February 10, 2021
There were a slew of disaster movies in the 70s and this one is right on par with the best of them. It has a fantastic cast and a weird and fantastical premise that is close enough to the real world to be actually terrifying. The solutions to the problems are tested one at a time and result in many deaths, most of them being highly respected actors, not just CGI extras in the background, but named characters who we…
Reviewed on August 10, 2026
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The Swarm (1978) is currently available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and Fandango At Home. No subscription streaming option is listed right now, so availability may change.
The main cast of The Swarm (1978) includes Michael Caine, Katharine Ross, Richard Widmark, Richard Chamberlain and Olivia de Havilland. The film was directed by Irwin Allen. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Swarm was released on June 26, 1978 and runs for 1h 56m.
The Swarm (1978) holds an average rating of 5.0 out of 10 from 208 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy science fiction and horror films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The Swarm trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
