Part reboot, part remake, and part cash-in of a 90s horror film, 2025’s Anaconda is about a group of mid-life crisis-facing friends who head out to the Amazon to film their version of the Jennifer Lopez and Ice Cube film. Sans the two actors. And the budget.

Snakes Alive

See, struggling actor Griffin (Paul Rudd) has obtained the rights to the film from Sony and wants his best bud Doug McCallister (Jack Black), who yearns to make films instead of running his wedding videos-making studio, to direct the horror flick of his dreams. Both of them alongside other pals-slash-Griffin-love-interest-telegraphed-too-hard Claire (Thandiwe Newton) and nutjob Kenny Trent (Steve Zahn in his finest comedy role yet) are fans of the 90s horror animal-focused flick and share the same passion in shooting the remake. Along the way, they enlist the aid of anaconda wrangler Santiago (Selton Mello) and ship captain Ana (Daniela Melchior) who is on the run from armed mercenaries.

The show has its many twists and turns, but the big one that was on the promo trailers was the fact that there is a monster-sized anaconda in the Amazon. How or why isn’t relevant here: what I give credit for is that satire is thrown out the window the moment the big snake makes its full appearance mid-way in the film, devolving it into horror comedy slop.

The thing is: it’s decent slop and it’s got money backing it up from its “indie” bits to the finale. True, there are cringeworthy moments like Santiago himself who just loves his pet anaconda too much, but Rudd and Black’s cameraderie is genuine even if it feels like it’s just two comedians riffing off each other. Newton and Zahn are also a hoot to watch, though the side actor billing spotlight shines on Zahn’s Trent the brightest given his love for intoxicating himself and just saying the dumbest stuff ever (but not getting browbeated for it because the group are tight).

We all have that one movie or two we would love to see remade and brought back, and having a small group caring for a forgettable snake movie to the point of fervor behaviour is its own kind of entertainment. The film even goes so far as to add in the obvious cameos in the last third of the film, while also not letting up on the absurdity that a larger-than-life snake is on the hunt for tourists, movie makers, and overall white people.

Slither

Look, don’t expect high-brow art in a show starring two renowned comedians who pander towards low common denominator humour. This version of Anaconda, while having some bright satire moments, is clearly filed under the “shut your brain off” comedy for the most parts. Your enjoyment of this “reboot” is dependent on your tolerance for Rudd and Black’s brand of comedy, and your fondness of seeing a 1997 snake film get a second big-budget shot on the silver screen while blending horror and satire somehow to an acceptable level.

It’s an “ay-OK” for me, as I can empathise with directors and studios doing their best not to completely remake the same film all over again and trying something a little different.

Final Score: 60/100