Quartile rating: 7/10 · 2 ratings
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.
Animal House is a landmark comedy that essentially invented the college gross-out genre and remains genuinely singular in its anarchic, episodic energy. The plot is deliberately thin and shaggy, functioning more as a series of comedic set pieces than a coherent narrative. The acting is uneven but elevated by John Belushi's iconic, largely wordless physical performance and strong ensemble chemistry. Cinematography is functional at best — workmanlike 70s studio comedy with no particular visual ambition. The Novelty score is high because the film truly did something new: its irreverent, anti-authority chaos was unlike anything mainstream comedy had produced before and spawned an entire genre. The ending, while fun and suitably anarchic with its parade destruction, relies on title cards to do heavy lifting rather than landing with genuine dramatic or comedic satisfaction.