The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
An ordinary Englishman is swept into a deadpan intergalactic odyssey after Earth is demolished to clear a route for hyperspace traffic.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- whimsical
- irreverent
- lazy sunday
- group movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the adaptation likable, whimsical, and intermittently funny, while judging it less inventive and more conventional than Douglas Adams's novel.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Earth is demolished for a hyperspace motorway while alien authorities, police forces, and interstellar institutions behave with mundane administrative logic.
Arthur Dent moves from a disastrous morning on Earth to survival among aliens, spaceships, and intergalactic institutions.
The electronic Hitchhiker's Guide supplies humorous commentary and practical information throughout the off-Earth adventure.
The Vogons and other extraterrestrial beings are realized through distinctive constructed creature effects associated with Jim Henson's Creature Shop.
Films like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and why
Galaxy Quest
Shares irreverent science fiction comedy, absurd bureaucracy, eccentric aliens, and a cosmic adventure tone.
The World's End
Shares British-inflected absurdist humor, space travel, comic ensemble dynamics, and playful genre parody.
Men in Black
Shares whimsical extraterrestrial adventure, eccentric characters, imaginative world-building, and accessible comedic energy.
Movie Details
- Director
- Garth Jennings
- Release Date
- 2005-04-28
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (4384)
Cast
- Martin Freeman
- Yasiin Bey
- Zooey Deschanel
- Sam Rockwell
- Alan Rickman
- Anna Chancellor
- Bill Nighy
- Richard Griffiths
- John Malkovich
- Helen Mirren
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy about?
- An ordinary Englishman is swept into a deadpan intergalactic odyssey after Earth is demolished to clear a route for hyperspace traffic.
- What is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as mild.
- What did critics think of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?
- Critics broadly found the adaptation likable, whimsical, and intermittently funny, while judging it less inventive and more conventional than Douglas Adams's novel.
- Which films are like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?
- Films with a similar feel include Galaxy Quest, The World's End, and Men in Black.
- How long is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?
- In United States, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
