← Back to results
Revenge of the Nerds
1984 90 min United States of America R 18+
★6.5
Comedy
Director: Jeff Kanew
Trailers
Description
At Adams College, the jocks rule from their house on high, the Alpha Beta fraternity. So when a group of socially-challenged misfits try to go Greek, they're instantly rejected by every house on campus. Deciding to start their own frat to protect their outcast brothers, the nerds soon find themselves in a battle royale as the Alpha Betas try to crush their new rivals.
Budget:
$6M
US Gross:
$40.87M
Worldwide:
$40.9M
Starring
Robert Carradine
Actor
Anthony Edwards
Actor
Timothy Busfield
Actor
Awards
1 nomination total
Key opinion
Revenge of the Nerds is widely viewed as a quintessential 1980s campus comedy that captures the aesthetic and cultural tropes of its era. While fans enjoy its lighthearted parody of college social hierarchies, critics take issue with the problematic and invasive nature of the protagonists' tactics.
| Production | The film serves as a vibrant time capsule of 1980s fashion, music, and campus culture. | |
| Screenplay | The script employs witty banter and sharp irony to mock the elitism of athletes and fraternity life. | |
| Screenplay | The protagonists' methods for seeking retribution—including trespassing and non-consensual surveillance—are ethically questionable and feel clumsily executed. | |
| Humor | Viewers are divided on the film's tone; some find it a delightful, lighthearted parody, while others view the aggressive and intrusive nature of the revenge as undermining the comedy. |