National Lampoon's Animal House

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National Lampoon's Animal House

R

1978

1h 49m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

56 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

When they arrive at college, socially inept freshmen Larry (Thomas Hulce) and Kent (Stephen Furst) attempt to pledge the snooty Omega Theta Pi House, but are summarily rejected. Lowering their standards, they try at the notoriously rowdy Delta Tau Chi House, and get in. The trouble is, the college dean (John Vernon) has it in for the Deltas. He has put them on "Double Secret Probation" and secretly assigned Omega's president (James Daughton) the task of having their charter revoked.

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Critics Consensus

The talents of director John Landis and Saturday Night Live's irrepressible John Belushi conspired to create a rambunctious, subversive college comedy that continues to resonate.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

Sep 18, 2023

In its own half-flubbed way, it has a style. And you don’t go to a film like Animal House for cinema, you go for roughhousing disreputability; it makes you laugh by restoring you to the slobby infant in yourself.

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Nigel Andrews

Financial Times

Feb 7, 2020

The film has swept through the American box office like a whirlwind, precipitating a rash of incipient college romps. One waits with trepidation: but at least the trailblazer has vitality and charm.

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Gary Arnold

Washington Post

Jul 31, 2015

You may not care to take up permanent spiritual residence at Animal House, but it's funny place to visit.

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Joshua Tyler

Giant Freakin Robot

Jun 23, 2026

Animal House goes to immoral and illegal extremes to prove that by taking on college debt, you can literally get away with anything.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Mar 18, 2026

3/4

a rude, misogynist film that offered the bare-breasted slapstick that audiences craved in 1978, but now seems dated in assumptions rather than nostalgic.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 8, 2023

4/4

It's endlessly quotable (“Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son”), packed with excellent performances and unique characters, and blessed with a great score that mixes Elmer Bernstein’s orchestral maneuvers with catchy oldies.

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S A

@Moviepopcornjoy Aug 27, 2026

I watched this ( unbeknownst to my parents) as a teen. It obviously has mature themes, and is very funny. Another classic. “ Toga, Toga, Toga”…

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Christopher B

@CBoehne22 Aug 20, 2026

Best college movie EVER MADE! Comedy gold to the level of Ft. Knox. This movie is what everyone dreams their college years could be like.

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David N

@Nolan305 Jul 26, 2026

A classic that many zany comedies have tried and failed to replicate.

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Max H

@maxheid Jul 25, 2026

Great movie, classic lines

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Joe G

@RT32916965 Jul 25, 2026

Wild , stupid , bawdy humor, no retakes evidently, mistakes left in which makes it funnier, the establishment loses and the out of control guys win. A fabulous movie. High school buddies and I ganged up and went to drive in every night it was on for the laughs, emulated the Deltas at high school- got in trouble, belly laughed.. buddies who are still with us still utter some of the dialogue when we talk. A ton of movies stole the plot and emulated the movie, never got close to irreverent, hysterically funny Animal House film. "Knowledge is Good".

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Ronald S

@RonnieBLove Jul 12, 2026

This movie could never be done today in this PC era. It disrespects anything and everything including voluminous drinking, dating girls too young or the Principal’s wife, and wasting time in college, which is what most liberal arts students (like me) did. It’s a frantic comedy of put-me-downs and self-serving unabashed happy-go-lucky nonchalance. I love every minute of it and have watched it at least a dozen times. The character development is phenomenal. The humor is Pythonesque. A roller coaster of ridiculousness bordering on absurd. After watching this film, you’ll ask yourself which scene was the best, and there’s many to choose from. My favourite: when Graham Nash (cameo) is sitting in a staircase playing a boring folk song, I mean really boring, John Belushi, (Bluto ) is walking down the stairs and gets this angry I’ve had enough look in his eyes, grabs Nash’s guitar and smashes it to smithereens. It was well deserved.

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John Landis

Director

John Belushi

John "Bluto" Blutarsky

Kevin Bacon

Chip Diller

Donald Sutherland

Prof. Dave Jennings

Karen Allen

Katy

Tim Matheson

Eric "Otter" Stratton

Animal House: Official Clip - Flounder Gets Even

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Animal House: Official Clip - Only We Can Do That to Our Pledges

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Synopsis

When they arrive at college, socially inept freshmen Larry (Thomas Hulce) and Kent (Stephen Furst) attempt to pledge the snooty Omega Theta Pi House, but are summarily rejected. Lowering their standards, they try at the notoriously rowdy Delta Tau Chi House, and get in. The trouble is, the college dean (John Vernon) has it in for the Deltas. He has put them on "Double Secret Probation" and secretly assigned Omega's president (James Daughton) the task of having their charter revoked.

Director: John Landis
Producer: Ivan Reitman, Matty Simmons
Screenwriter: Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney, Chris Miller
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 1, 1978, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2012
Runtime: 1h 49m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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