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Strange Brew

Play trailer 2:46 Poster for Strange Brew PG 1983 1h 30m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
75% Tomatometer 24 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
In their quest for free beer, bumbling Canadian brothers Bob (Rick Moranis) and Doug McKenzie (Dave Thomas) wind up working at the Elsinore Brewery. The hapless lads uncover a sinister mind-control plot spearheaded by Brewmeister Smith (Max von Sydow) and must stop the scheme, which also involves Uncle Claude (Paul Dooley), a member of the Elsinore family. As Bob and Doug try to prevent Smith from taking over the world, they also manage to drink plenty of their favorite sudsy beverage.
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Strange Brew

Strange Brew

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Critics Consensus

Though lowbrow in intent and outcome, Strange Brew effectively mines laughs from its unique premise and likeable stars.

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Critics Reviews

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Trevor Johnston Time Out Feb 9, 2006
The plotline (derived from Hamlet) soon goes flat. Go to Full Review Janet Maslin New York Times Aug 30, 2004
2/5
The price of a ticket could buy enough beer for an experience at least as memorable as this one. Go to Full Review Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle Mar 10, 2003
[A] funny movie about a couple of Canadians who sit around and drink a lot. Go to Full Review M.V. Moorhead Less Hat, Moorhead Apr 26, 2022
This very silly but sweet-natured and sometimes hilarious '80s curio deserves a bigger cult. I defy anyone to deny the ring of Shakespearean poetry in a line like "Gee, you're real nice. If I didn't have puke breath, I'd kiss you." Go to Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Sep 24, 2020
3.5/4.0
This is a silly, goofy, innocent comic classic. Go to Full Review Brian Costello Common Sense Media Feb 21, 2018
4/5
Classic '80s send-up of Canada; lots of beer drinking. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Robert P @Superbad 5 days ago Strange Brew is a *4* star Movie! See more Trevor W @RT38551817 Sep 2, 2026 A pure 80s classic! It’s a beauty way to go! See more Vincent S @Vin_E_At_The_Movies Jul 28, 2026 Slow to get going but when it starts humming this weird cult movie makes you laugh and then after it’s over you feel dumb for laughing. Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas give it their all, they are not afraid to fail and that is admirable. Also, it is a master stroke to cast Max von Sydow as an evil bad guy. See more thiago S @Thiagostone Apr 7, 2026 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more xpig332 B @RT69712065 Nov 13, 2025 Classic 1980’s stupid good movie! See more Jonathan N @Passtheacidtest Sep 1, 2025 Really very hard to watch. Did not enjoy it and turned it off after 20 min. Did it improve? I will never know! See more Read all reviews
Strange Brew

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Cast & Crew

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Rick Moranis

Director

Dave Thomas

Director

Dave Thomas

Doug McKenzie

Rick Moranis

Bob McKenzie

Max von Sydow

Brewmeister Smith

Paul Dooley

Claude Elsinore

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Strange Brew

Strange Brew: Trailer 1 Strange Brew: Trailer 1 2:46 Now Playing View more videos
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Strange Brew

Strange Brew (1983) Strange Brew (1983) Strange Brew (1983) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In their quest for free beer, bumbling Canadian brothers Bob (Rick Moranis) and Doug McKenzie (Dave Thomas) wind up working at the Elsinore Brewery. The hapless lads uncover a sinister mind-control plot spearheaded by Brewmeister Smith (Max von Sydow) and must stop the scheme, which also involves Uncle Claude (Paul Dooley), a member of the Elsinore family. As Bob and Doug try to prevent Smith from taking over the world, they also manage to drink plenty of their favorite sudsy beverage.
Director
Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas
Producer
Louis M. Silverstein
Screenwriter
Steve De Jarnatt, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co
Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 26, 1983, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 14, 2014
Runtime
1h 30m
Sound Mix
Mono, Stereo
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