Film Review – Anaconda (2025)

      Anaconda, 2025.

      Directed by Tom Gormican.

      Featuring Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Daniela Melchior, Thandiwe Newton, Steve Zahn, Ione Skye, Selton Mello, Jack Waters, Sebastian Sero, Aimee Bah, Romeo Ellard, Reagan George, Ben Lawson, and Diego Arnary.

      SYNOPSIS:

      A group of friends faces a mid-life crisis and decides to remake a cherished film from their youth, but unexpected challenges arise as they venture into the jungle.

      As a character in Tom Gormican's Anaconda acknowledges, Hollywood is experiencing a creative drought. The title clearly references the Sony franchise that became a guilty pleasure for many with its 1997 debut featuring Jennifer Lopez and Ice Cube, though there’s some reluctance to label it a ‘remake’. For those familiar with cinema, the arrival of Tom Gormican (who previously directed the meta film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent starring Nicolas Cage) might have sparked suspicions before the goofy trailer was released, revealing the film's intentions. It was only a matter of time before Hollywood began to parody its own lack of creativity and fascination with reboots and legacy sequels.

      If remaking Anaconda is where we’ve arrived, it’s at least somewhat amusing that Sony is using this IP to satirize the industry as a group of friends (played by Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Thandiwe Newton, and Steve Zahn) chooses to recreate their favorite movie. The film is a clever choice for this idea; it isn’t held in such high regard as to seem sacred, yet it has enough of a cult following that it could realistically be someone’s favorite. Additionally, the transformation of what was originally a horror film into a comedy inevitably blends the two when chaos ensues.

      From screenwriting gags targeting the industry's annoying preoccupation with intergenerational trauma (or the notion that every film must have a deeper meaning) to intentionally hammy acting while shooting and critiques of unconventional acting methods, there’s no shortage of commentary on the creative process. However, things feel amiss and largely unhumorous once Tom Gormican (co-writing with Kevin Etten) drops these friends into the Amazon for their film remake, motivated by unfulfilling lives, a desire to reconnect, and a wish to recapture their youthful love for creating monster movies.

      Jack Black’s Doug McAllister recognizes that he’s made a decent living producing wedding videos, but it doesn’t fulfill his passion for horror. On his birthday, his best friend Ronald ‘Griff’ Griffen Jr. (Paul Rudd) returns from Los Angeles, where he was recently dismissed from a minor role on a low-quality TV show, feeling frustrated with his career path. He then shares with Doug and their other friends, the aimless Claire (Thandiwe Newton) and sobriety-challenged videographer Trent (Steve Zahn), that he has acquired the rights to the Anaconda franchise. It’s time to pursue their dreams, with the snake symbolizing the hurdles they face.

      The first alarming indication that the filmmakers might struggle with this project is the rapid onset of a montage after the friends meet an eccentric snake wrangler (Selton Mello) and boating guide (Daniela Melchior, who, as revealed in the prologue, has ulterior motives). While there are numerous jokes as this DIY crew operates, some fall flat without eliciting any reaction (such as an extended discussion about executing a headbutt correctly). Griff and Claire, who had a romantic past, begin to reignite their relationship while filming (he gets to portray a hero), but it lacks both romance and humor. Perhaps more concerning, it seems even the filmmakers are uncertain about its intended tone.

      The chaotic energy is somewhat restrained until the third act, which brings a fairly clever twist that, however, mostly undermines the film's own concept. Once danger arises and, as one character puts it, they find themselves truly in Anaconda, the blend of meta humor and thrills transforms into a more delightfully absurd scenario that, for the most part, remains entertaining.

      Straddling the line between new idea, remake, and legacy sequel, Anaconda is refreshing in certain aspects, although it may only be a matter of time before Hollywood exhausts this concept as well. It’s hard to categorize this as a good film overall, but at the very least, it attempts something different, even if it doesn't always hit the mark.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

      Robert Kojder