Year One

Play trailer

2:19

Year One

PG-13

2009

1h 37m

Comedy

Adventure

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

14%

Tomatometer

171 Reviews

24%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

After Neanderthal hunter Zed (Jack Black) is exiled for eating forbidden fruit, he and his sardonic buddy Oh (Michael Cera) leave their village and begin an epic journey through history. The pals encounter biblical characters such as Cain (David Cross) and Abel, Abraham (Hank Azaria), and others, and wind up in Sodom. Along the way, Zed debunks commonly held beliefs and replaces them with his own delusions of grandeur.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Year One is a poorly executed, slapdash comedy in which the talent both in front of and behind the camera never seem to be on the same page.

Read Critics Reviews

Deborah Ross

The Spectator

Aug 29, 2018

All in all, this is a sloppy, unoriginal, brain-dead mess that can't even be bothered to get itself out of trouble.

Go to Full Review

Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

Jan 5, 2010

1/5

What's even more depressing than the never-ending stream of sub-sixth-grade toilet humor is the sad fact that Year One is helmed and co-produced by two of the best laughmeisters in the business.

Go to Full Review

J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

Jan 5, 2010

Creatively it's a giant step backwards, with Jack Black and Michael Cera playing to the kids as inept hunter-gatherers who stumble across various Old Testament characters.

Go to Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Sep 4, 2023

1.5/4

A dreary, groan-inducing comedy that fails to be funny or entertaining under even the most lenient terms.

Go to Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Nov 29, 2020

5/10

It may go slightly beyond the blueprints for a formulaic parody movie, but it has all the same symptoms.

Go to Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Aug 31, 2020

1.0/4.0

Year One relies almost solely upon bawdy, sophomoric humor.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Robert P

@Superbad 6 days ago

Year One is a *1* star Movie!

See more

Maddi K

@Maddi-3 Jul 8, 2026

I think the concept was interesting, but it was poorly executed, the two main actors were clearly talented, it was hard to follow the plot and their didn't seem like their was even a problem they had to resolve, they did but the stakes weren't high enough and the humor was a bit dead.

See more

Richard J.

@RT21432955 Jun 2, 2026

It's a good comedy and seriously underrated. The range of comedic actors add a lot of enjoyment and humor to what others would consider a sensitive topic (religion).

See more

Melissa M

@Lisey May 15, 2026

This movie is like a cross between Mel Brooks History of The World Part 1, Caveman, & a Monty Python movie.. it's one of the best grossed out movies of all time. Jack Black is also one of the best comedians of all time. He can do physical comedy & slapstick comedy. Its a satirical look at biblical times. From a parody of Cain & Abel to a hysterical history of the Roman empire. You know when a movie is directed or written by Harold Ramis it's going to be LOL.

See more

Chris B

@Burge Apr 10, 2026

I like these types of brain-dead movies. It's a religious farce thus the bad reviews. Just enjoy it

See more

Joe L.

@Hoagie1013 Apr 10, 2026

Wanted to love it but couldn’t. Jack throwing the spear in that dudes ass is the funniest scene in the whole movie and it’s in the first 10 minutes. Rest is almost unforgettable

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Harold Ramis

Director

Jack Black

Zed

Michael Cera

Oh

Oliver Platt

High Priest

David Cross

Cain

Christopher Mintz-Plasse

Isaac

Year One: Official Clip - Sleeping With Lilith

3:38

Now Playing

Year One: Official Clip - The Jackal Dance

1:08

Now Playing

Year One: Official Clip - Awkward Orgy

2:52

Now Playing

Year One: Official Clip - Rub Me With Oil

1:43

Now Playing

Year One: Official Clip - Abraham & Isaac

1:35

Now Playing

Year One: Official Clip - Cut off the Tip

2:04

Now Playing

Year One: Official Clip - No Longer a Virgin

3:30

Now Playing

Year One: Official Clip - Sexy Sodom

1:52

Now Playing

Year One: Official Clip - You're Cursed, Man

2:24

Now Playing

Year One: Official Clip - Peeing Upside Down

1:58

Now Playing

View more videos

Land of the Lost

27%

32%

Land of the Lost

Watchlist

Epic Movie

2%

29%

Epic Movie

Watchlist

Now You See Me 2

33%

53%

Now You See Me 2

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Now You See Me 2

Without a Paddle

15%

68%

Without a Paddle

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Without a Paddle

Black Knight

15%

34%

Black Knight

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The Friday Harvest: This Week’s Best Pictures, Posters, and Video

Box Office Guru Preview: Proposal and Year One Bring More Laughs

Critics Consensus: Year One Fails To Beget Laughs

Year One: Trailer 1

2:19

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

After Neanderthal hunter Zed (Jack Black) is exiled for eating forbidden fruit, he and his sardonic buddy Oh (Michael Cera) leave their village and begin an epic journey through history. The pals encounter biblical characters such as Cain (David Cross) and Abel, Abraham (Hank Azaria), and others, and wind up in Sodom. Along the way, Zed debunks commonly held beliefs and replaces them with his own delusions of grandeur.

Director: Harold Ramis
Producer: Harold Ramis, Judd Apatow, Clayton Townsend
Screenwriter: Harold Ramis, Gene Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Ocean Pictures, Apatow Company, Columbia Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Comic Violence|Brief Strong Language|Crude and Sexual Content)
Genre: Comedy, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 19, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $43.3M
Runtime: 1h 37m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings