Paul

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Paul

R

2011

1h 44m

Comedy

Adventure

Sci-Fi

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Popcornmeter

70%

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204 Reviews

62%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

For the past 60 years, a wisecracking alien named Paul (Seth Rogen) has resided at a top-secret military base in America's UFO heartland. When Paul decides he has had enough of Earth, he escapes from the compound and hops on the first handy vehicle -- a rented RV manned by two British sci-fi nerds named Graeme (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost). With federal agents and the father of an accidental kidnap victim on their tail, the two hatch a crazy plan to help Paul return to his spaceship.

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Critics Consensus

It doesn't measure up to Pegg and Frost's best work, but Paul is an amiably entertaining -- albeit uneven -- road trip comedy with an intergalactic twist.

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Jim Schembri

The Age (Australia)

Apr 13, 2011

2.5/5

Passably funny, though one suspects even diehard sci-fi buffs will find the film's wall-to-wall pop referencing tiring and a tad lazy. Doesn't anybody write genuine jokes any more?

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

Apr 13, 2011

3/5

Paul isn't as riotous as the early Pegg and Frost movies, but it does have a certain sweetness. Everyone in it is sort of innocent, except Paul, the alien wisecracker. It's likeable, if uneven, rather than hilarious.

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Mar 25, 2011

3/4

It is a sunny road trip comedy that had me smiling from the start, and while there are the occasional hiccups this is still as breezily a good time at the movies as I've had this year.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 20, 2025

3/4

Often lewd and crude but always more clever than expected, Paul is ultimately a sweet homage to pop culture geeks, sci-fi aficionados, and anyone who came of age on a steady diet of Spielberg blockbusters.

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Sep 11, 2025

4/5

Effective as both a tribute to and sendup of a number of fan-favorite sci-fi films.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Jul 31, 2023

3/4

Mottola’s direction is serviceable, and the impressive cast of comedians and cameos make for consistent laughs.

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Gareth V

@geewah Oct 17, 2026

There are enough laughs and warm moments to keep it enjoyable, but it doesn’t leave much of a lasting impression.

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James S

@jampot61 Oct 11, 2026

Starts well but fizzles. Same old tropes,

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Paul T

@RT44828488 Oct 8, 2026

I could watch this film repeatedly without tiring! Paul consistently delivers ample laughter, and its plot is cleverly crafted.

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alana S

@RT41800465 Oct 4, 2026

lowkey fav movie of all time

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Huntin P

@PaxVobiscum80 Sep 20, 2026

Having parodied horror movies and westerns and action cop buddy movies, Pegg & Frost take on the road movie and drive off into ET territory. Playing two nerds on vacation to the best UFO hotspots, their schedule is interrupted when they pick-up the most unlikely hitchhiker. Make that two hitchhikers, one not from planet Earth, the other a Christian with an eyepatch. Paul is a grey alien with a potty mouth and a talent for living his best life bottomless. He's AWOL and the security services are after him. Can the guys get him to the mothership before The Big Guy gets a-hold of him? There's also the father of their kidnapped Christian, and a couple of angry hillbillies, and they're all in vehicles faster than a motorhome. One thing this comedy makes clear, when it's a matter of t*tties, three isn't a crowd, it's more reason to be proud.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 9, 2026

Paul is a very funny movie!

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Greg Mottola

Director

Simon Pegg

Graeme Willy

Nick Frost

Clive Gollings

Seth Rogen

Paul

Jason Bateman

Agent Zoil

Kristen Wiig

Ruth Buggs

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Synopsis

For the past 60 years, a wisecracking alien named Paul (Seth Rogen) has resided at a top-secret military base in America's UFO heartland. When Paul decides he has had enough of Earth, he escapes from the compound and hops on the first handy vehicle -- a rented RV manned by two British sci-fi nerds named Graeme (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost). With federal agents and the father of an accidental kidnap victim on their tail, the two hatch a crazy plan to help Paul return to his spaceship.

Director: Greg Mottola
Producer: Nira Park, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner
Screenwriter: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Working Title Films
Rating: R (Sexual References|Language|Some Drug Use)
Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 18, 2011, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 5, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $37.4M
Runtime: 1h 44m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS

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