It was the Deltas against the rules... the rules lost!
Overview
At a 1962 College, Dean Vernon Wormer is determined to expel the entire Delta Tau Chi Fraternity, but those troublemakers have other plans for him.
Ratings
Curator score: 5.4/10
IMDb: 7.4/10
Letterboxd: 3.44/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Metacritic: 79
TMDB: 7.0/10
Director
John Landis
Production
Universal Pictures, Oregon Film Factory, Stage III Productions
Cast
John Belushi, Karen Allen, Tom Hulce, Stephen Furst, Mark Metcalf, Mary Louise Weller, Martha Smith, John Vernon, James Daughton, Kevin Bacon, Tim Matheson, Verna Bloom, Cesare Danova, Peter Riegert, James Widdoes, Bruce McGill, DeWayne Jessie, Sarah Holcomb, Lisa Baur, Donald Sutherland
Where to watch
Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A foundational college-party comedy that still lands through sheer chaotic energy, quotable writing, and cultural influence, even if plenty of the humor now feels crude or dated. Its legacy is bigger than its polish, but the movie remains a rowdy, historically important crowd-pleaser for viewers who can meet it on its own messy terms.
Best for
fans of classic raunchy comedies
viewers interested in influential 1970s studio comedies
people who enjoy anarchic ensemble humor
audiences okay with dated, politically incorrect jokes
fans of campus rebellion stories
Skip if
you want modern sensibilities and cleaner comedy
you are sensitive to misogynistic or racist humor
you dislike broad, juvenile, or intentionally obnoxious characters
you prefer character warmth over chaos
you want a comedy that has aged gracefully
Overview
Animal House is one of those movies whose reputation has become part of the viewing experience. Even if some of the jokes now feel blunt or ugly, the film’s comic momentum, disregard for authority, and commitment to total disorder still make it easy to understand why it became a landmark.
Worth noting
What holds up best is the ensemble energy and the sense that every scene is trying to outdo the last in sheer misbehavior. The movie is messy, loud, and often mean-spirited, but it’s also sharply constructed as a machine for escalation, with a handful of iconic bits that have outlived the era that produced them.
Bottom line
If you come to it as a time capsule of late-70s studio comedy, it’s a rewarding watch. If you want something more humane or less dated, the film’s influence may be more enjoyable than the film itself.
Top Letterboxd reviews
The Ron (2.5★) · 816 likes
I'm sure this was hilarious when it was released in 1978, but now the humor is very dated. Sure there's still some laughs to be had, but I found it mostly annoying and almost all the characters were douchebags. It does deserve credit for influencing a lot of modern comedies though, and I'm sure if I'd seen it closer to its release I'd of enjoyed it more.
Patrick Willems (3★) · 740 likes
My dad will never forgive me for this but...it's just kinda fine?
Hesse (0.5★) · 599 likes
For a movie called Animal Horse there were very few horses. Half star.
Kenneth Clark (3.5★) · 589 likes
Pretty impressive how a movie can age so poorly and well at the exact same time.
Hannah (4★) · 454 likes
fun fact: the frat is based on the frat my grandpa was in when he was in college. he was in the same frat as harold ramis, the writer.
i wonder which character he’s supposed to be