The Campaign
Two mismatched North Carolina candidates turn a congressional race into a vulgar circus exposing the machinery of corporate political influence.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- irreverent
- crude
- sardonic
- election season
- comedy night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film's crude political satire less sharp than hoped but credited its well-matched leads and reliable laughs.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Motch brothers use Marty Huggins as a vehicle for factories importing cheap Chinese labor, while both campaigns descend into manipulation and dirty tactics.
The central conflict asks how rich industrialists can shape an election and establish their preferred economic policies through a candidate.
Cam Brady repeatedly shoots himself in the foot, while Marty’s transformation and growing ambition destabilize the race and his family dynamics.
Marty receives a makeover from consultant Tim Wattley, and the campaign is built around public performance, messaging, and increasingly dirty tactics.
Films like The Campaign, and why
primary colors
broad political satire, crude humor, and an absurd competition between public figures
the candidate
ensemble political comedy using campaign machinery to expose corruption and cynical power structures
wag the dog
irreverent workplace-style satire of american institutions with aggressive comic performances
step brothers
crude buddy-comedy energy, escalating rivalry, and mismatched comic leads
Movie Details
- Director
- Jay Roach
- Release Date
- 2012-08-09
- Runtime
- 85 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (1946)
Cast
- Will Ferrell
- Zach Galifianakis
- Jason Sudeikis
- Katherine LaNasa
- Dylan McDermott
- Sarah Baker
- John Lithgow
- Dan Aykroyd
- Brian Cox
- Karen Maruyama
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- 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 Campaign about?
- Two mismatched North Carolina candidates turn a congressional race into a vulgar circus exposing the machinery of corporate political influence.
- What is The Campaign like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Campaign as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Campaign violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Campaign as mild.
- What did critics think of The Campaign?
- Critics generally found the film's crude political satire less sharp than hoped but credited its well-matched leads and reliable laughs.
- Which films are like The Campaign?
- Films with a similar feel include primary colors, the candidate, wag the dog, and step brothers.
- How long is The Campaign?
- The Campaign runs 85 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Campaign?
- In United States, The Campaign is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
