The Gods Must Be Crazy (1981)

95% of critics liked it
(22 reviews)
78% of users liked it
(47,753 ratings)

Kalahari bushman Xi (played by genuine bushman N!xau) is as surprised as the rest of his tibe when a Coke bottle, thrown from a passing plane, lands in the middle of their village. This "gift from the gods" proves to be a mixed blessing when the tribesmen fight over it and eventually use it for a… More Kalahari bushman Xi (played by genuine bushman N!xau) is as surprised as the rest of his tibe when a Coke bottle, thrown from a passing plane, lands in the middle of their village. This "gift from the gods" proves to be a mixed blessing when the tribesmen fight over it and eventually use it for a weapon. To keep peace in the village, Xi is assigned to take the bottle to "the end of the earth" (actually a lush valley) and throw it back to the gods. Meanwhile, back in urbanized South Africa, Kate Thompson (Sandra Prinsloo) leaves her office job in the city to take a job teaching Kalahari children; once in the wilderness, she finds herself constantly bumping into clumsy microbiologist Andrew Steyn (Marius Weyers). And meanwhile, maniacal Sam Boga (Louw Verwey) is leading a military coup against the government. How do all these various and wildly divergent characters fit together? You'll have to see The Gods Must be Crazy yourself--if you haven't seen it already. This Botswanian comedy/melodrama was directed by Jamie Uys, who had helmed dozens of films before Gods and would make many more afterwards. Originally slated for limited domestic distribution in 1982, Gods Must Be Crazy was picked up for American consumption by 20th Century-Fox in 1984. Within a few weeks, "word of mouth" transformed Gods into the biggest foreign boxoffice hit ever released in the U.S. The 1989 sequel didn't do quite as well, indicating that perhaps the bloom was off the rose for N!xau and his confreres. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 49 min.
Directed By: Jamie Uys
Written By: Jamie Uys
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1980 Wide
On DVD: Jun 1, 2004
Studio: 20th Century Fox Film Corporat

Critic Reviews

Austin Kennedy, Sin Magazine
The comedy has a Keystone Cops feel and the film is also occasionally touching. These kinds of silly movies just aren't made anymore and that's too bad.
S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media
Charming family film makes you think; expect some shooting.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
A funny comedy, done is slapstick style, about a single but origianl idea of how a bottle of Coke changes the entire lifestle of a tribe.
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Sleeper that became a huge hit; all about the discovery of a soft drink container by a bushman. Funny, fascinating.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
delightfully entertaining
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
There's an earnest sincerity to the messages offered within, plus the presentation is colorful and exotic and quite funny throughout.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
It's not hard to understand why the film was such a worldwide sensation...
David Bezanson, Filmcritic.com
an offbeat movie that is also brilliant
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A slapstick comedy that really works!
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)
Whimsical mix of African folk tale and slapstick comedy

Read all 10 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Alexander D

Fast-paced, bizarre '80s comedy is ridiculously funny, if politically incorrect. Much of it seems like South Africa's equivalent to Monty Python, especially the narration, which is a subtle reminder to all Python fans of the tree-bombing skit in AND NOW FOR SOMETHING… More
Fast-paced, bizarre '80s comedy is ridiculously funny, if politically incorrect. Much of it seems like South Africa's equivalent to Monty Python, especially the narration, which is a subtle reminder to all Python fans of the tree-bombing skit in AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. Though this film was extremely funny, I must speak against its overall message. Even though it was <i>made</i> in South Africa and Botswana, the film seems to be promoting the idea that African tribes are clueless of their surroundings, some of which Western civilizations find to be obvious and a staple to their own lives (like a Coke bottle). <b>Full Review: http://wp.me/p1Urcx-t5</b>
Thomas B

Very funny if a little far-fetched. Full review later.
Wahida K

This is very funny Movie.
Cassandra M

No other film I ever saw has been able to show, so well, that "civilized" man lives in TOO COMPLEX A WORLD.. the bushmen have it ok.. technology is not needed, al these SURPLUS HUMANS THAT COVER THE GLOBE ARE NOT NEEDED! ABANDON YOUR TECHNOLOGY! ABANDON AGRICULTURE!! Ok,… More
No other film I ever saw has been able to show, so well, that "civilized" man lives in TOO COMPLEX A WORLD.. the bushmen have it ok.. technology is not needed, al these SURPLUS HUMANS THAT COVER THE GLOBE ARE NOT NEEDED! ABANDON YOUR TECHNOLOGY! ABANDON AGRICULTURE!! Ok, well i'm not abandoning these things either; I've grown so attached to my films, photography, reading, etc. The technical aspects of this film may at first bother you, when I first saw this film about 5 years ago, I knew then that the editing was a bit sloppy, or.. maybe not sloppy, but not seamless, how about.. but it doesn't matter - what matters foremost is that the idea, the communication GETS ACROSS.. it does. I may have "the message" of this film all wrong but that's ok, because it's up to me to have my own interpretation! it doesn't have to be the same as yours. what a wonderful life the bushmen have; they don't have to worry about being old, insurance, paperwork, jobs, bills, phones, electricity, car keys, etc. - granted, their life would NOT be for everyone but most people on this planet don't have it easy; in fact, few do, and I suspect that they are not "happy" or "fulfilled" and I don't care.. I'm not going to cry over the plight of any humans whose purpose for existing was/is largely an afterthought.. think about why, before you make more people.. think about the facts that they may never like you, that they may want to die at 16 years of age, that they might want to join an organization that harbors beliefs which conflict utterly with yours, that they might want to be an anti-humanity activist (contact me if the latter is the case with YOU, and I will tell you how you can help me with my propaganda) The bushmen are PART OF SOMETHING, they have a way of living that works for them, and that's something ALL "civilized" "societies" NEVER DEVELOPED, and now it's rapidly becoming too late - populations are swelling, "resources" are being taxed, some to the point of nonexistence (or soon anyway).. Personally, I'd rather be in a situation like the bushmen. I don't feel any need to live to see 50, 60, 70 years of age.. Why? What's the point? So one can procreate? And see their offspring procreate? On this planet? With what it's becoming, and the people that are responsible? No. no reason I can see to contribute to a population which is already way, way out of hand. Right.. there is a story in The Gods Must Be Crazy, and I must really like it, too, as I can't count how many times i've seen the film.. it may be that some of the story was simply a device which would allow the filmmaker's preoccupations to be spread around, maybe not. again, this is my possible interpretation, which is neither right or wrong, necessarily. make your own conclusions; I urge you to see this film. if the technical aspects are too much for you to handle, then go watch some drivel like Pearl Harbor, I'm quite sure Ben Affleck has the answer to all your little problems. In fact - this movie may have NO MESSAGE, but I think it has many. and this is something I like, is that there isn't ONE MESSAGE FORCED ON ME, which is the case with so, so, many excuses-for-films i've witnessed.. of course, a closing reminder that GOOD movies and BAD movies truly do not exist - rather, there are only films, and YOUR TAKE ON THEM. keep all that in mind. <a href="http://photobucket.com/images/gods%20must%20be%20crazy" target="_blank"><img src="http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii163/cynthiavioletrose/WTF.jpg" border="0" alt="The Gods Must be Crazy Pictures, Images and Photos"/></a>
Pierluigi P

over-the-top, amazing, clever, but above all hilarious analysis of our humanity. The curious and naive bushman N!xau effortlessly steals the show. one of my childhood favorites.
Lafe F

I found this movie cute and slapstick. It wasn't the roll-on-the-floor-laughing experience that some have described. The fast-motion goofiness made me chuckle briefly.
Megan S

So the first time I saw this was in seventh grade. All I could remember was that it was a movie involving a Coke bottle that fell from the sky. It was still pretty funny. Watching behind the scenes stuff on the second movie talked about the choppiness of the movie and how the… More
So the first time I saw this was in seventh grade. All I could remember was that it was a movie involving a Coke bottle that fell from the sky. It was still pretty funny. Watching behind the scenes stuff on the second movie talked about the choppiness of the movie and how the director did that on purpose.
Tim B

One of my favorite comedies. Charming, innocent, and off-beat.
Dean M

This is the first time I watched a South African comedy film - wonderfully, screamingly and tearfully funny.
Steven V

This is the first time I watched a South African comedy film - wonderfully, screamingly and tearfully funny. This movie was the funniest movie I've ever seen.
Deb S

The Gods Must Be Crazy", is a delightful sweet comedy that documents the journey of Xi, a bushman from the Kalahari Desert and the various people that he encounters on his journey as he tries to get rid of a Coca-Cola Bottle that dropped from the sky causing serious problems for… More
The Gods Must Be Crazy", is a delightful sweet comedy that documents the journey of Xi, a bushman from the Kalahari Desert and the various people that he encounters on his journey as he tries to get rid of a Coca-Cola Bottle that dropped from the sky causing serious problems for his people so he decides to walk to the end of the world and throw the bottle off. This movie is unique in the fact that it dances along the line of racism, without managing to offend and many scenes are so funny you can't help but laugh. The strength of it relies much more on its message, and its satirical comparison of the world viewed from the "civilized" man's perspective, and the bushman's perspective. In the end the bushman returns to his world of peace and tranquility. There is a little something for everyone, as it incorporates the universal themes of love between a man and a woman, cultural differences, adventure, and slapstick comedy to remind each of us to take this tale as just that, a piece of fiction. This film may not be liked too much by the "younger" generation due to lack of special effects and hot babes/guys, but I loved and enjoyed it!
Stefan P

One of the best comedies I have seen. I couldn't stop laughing at the excellent slapstick humour. It also raises many thought-provoking philosophical questions about moral and culture. One of it's most obvious, and, according to me, best point is that progress (whether… More
One of the best comedies I have seen. I couldn't stop laughing at the excellent slapstick humour. It also raises many thought-provoking philosophical questions about moral and culture. One of it's most obvious, and, according to me, best point is that progress (whether it's economic, moral or whatever) doesn't necessarily lead to increased happiness, justice or random-factor-that's-considered-valuable-in-western-societies.
Lee K

Surprisingly hilarious mock documentary!
Leo L

Great movie! A personal favorite.
Rose G

one of my favorite comedies. simple yet very entertaining.
Donna D

I didn't think I would ever laugh so much at a movie, but this one did it. So cute and funny, and crazy. All due to a silly Coke Bottle, the world changes for the little African Bushman. Outrageously funny. A favorite of mine.