Movie · 1977 · Action, Adventure, Comedy · 1h 36m · PG · English
Curator score: 5.0/10 (134.7K ratings)
What we have here is a total lack of respect for the law!
Overview
A race car driver tries to transport an illegal beer shipment from Texas to Atlanta in under 28 hours, picking up a reluctant bride-to-be on the way.
Ratings
Curator score: 5.0/10
IMDb: 7.0/10
Letterboxd: 3.66/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
Metacritic: 50
TMDB: 7.0/10
Director
Hal Needham
Production
Universal Pictures
Cast
Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed, Jackie Gleason, Mike Henry, Paul Williams, Pat McCormick, Linda McClure, Susan McIver, Laura Lizer Sommers, Michael Mann, Lamar Jackson, Ronnie Gay, Quinnon Sheffield, Ingeborg Kjeldsen, Ben Jones, John Schneider, Bill Saito, Victoria Lynn Johnson, Hank Worden
Where to watch
Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A breezy, star-powered chase comedy with real momentum, easy chemistry, and a distinctly 1970s outlaw charm. It’s light on depth but excellent at what it’s trying to do: deliver speed, swagger, and crowd-pleasing mayhem.
Best for
fans of car chases and road movies
viewers who like laid-back, charismatic star vehicles
people in the mood for a feel-good, low-stakes comedy
fans of 1970s Americana and CB-radio culture
Skip if
you want a tightly plotted story with a strong ending
you dislike broad Southern humor or macho banter
you need high-stakes drama or emotional complexity
you’re not interested in older, episodic mainstream comedies
Overview
Smokey and the Bandit is pure motion-picture pleasure: a movie built around speed, attitude, and the chemistry of people who look like they’re having the time of their lives. The plot is basically an excuse to keep the wheels turning, and that’s exactly the point. It’s a loose, funny, star-driven chase movie that understands how far charm can carry a scene.
Worth noting
What makes it endure is how effortlessly it sells its own silliness. The car stunts are lively, the banter is easy, and the whole thing has a sun-baked, radio-static energy that feels very specific to its era. It’s less interested in narrative payoff than in momentum, and for the most part that works in its favor.
Bottom line
If you’re after a polished action-comedy with a modern structure, this may feel shaggy. But if you want a movie that’s funny, fast, and unmistakably alive, it remains an easy recommendation. It’s the kind of crowd-pleaser that doesn’t need to overexplain itself.
Top Letterboxd reviews
devincf (4.5★) · 1180 likes
A movie so good they didn't even bother to end it.
Matt Singer (4★) · 1050 likes
Alfred Hitchcock supposedly liked this movie. I see why.
Matt Singer (4★) · 855 likes
Chicken soup in cinematic form. Good for what ails you.