Overview
In a small town where hockey is everything, a struggling team finds a new identity through chaos and camaraderie.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- irreverent
- cynical
- boisterous
- sports movie night
- classic comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the energetic performances and vitality while remaining divided over its exploitative, ambivalent treatment of hockey violence and vulgarity.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Reggie transforms the Chiefs through goon hockey, while the crowds reward increasingly brutal play.
The Charlestown mill closure threatens the hockey team and reflects the town’s broader unemployment and instability.
Reggie spreads a false sale rumor and engineers the team’s violent new image to attract buyers and spectators.
Ned values hockey as a game while Reggie treats winning, publicity, and violence as means of keeping the franchise alive.
Films like Slap Shot, and why
Major League
abrasive sports comedy, working-class masculinity, and cynical entertainment culture
The Bad News Bears
irreverent underdog sports comedy centered on a struggling team and outsider personalities
The Longest Yard
rough-edged ensemble comedy combining workplace dysfunction, vulgar humor, and working-class solidarity
Rollerball
sports satire with adult humor, competitive spectacle, and conflicted attitudes toward violence
Movie Details
- Director
- George Roy Hill
- Release Date
- 1977-02-25
- Runtime
- 123 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (467)
Cast
- Paul Newman
- Strother Martin
- Michael Ontkean
- Jennifer Warren
- Lindsay Crouse
- Jerry Houser
- Andrew Duncan
- Jeff Carlson
- Steve Carlson
- David Hanson
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 Slap Shot about?
- A fading Rust Belt hockey team embraces brutal spectacle to survive, forcing its aging player-coach to choose between commercial success and the soul of the game.
- What is Slap Shot like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Slap Shot as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Slap Shot violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Slap Shot as brutal.
- What did critics think of Slap Shot?
- Critics broadly praised the energetic performances and vitality while remaining divided over its exploitative, ambivalent treatment of hockey violence and vulgarity.
- Which films are like Slap Shot?
- Films with a similar feel include Major League, The Bad News Bears, The Longest Yard, and Rollerball.
- How long is Slap Shot?
- Slap Shot runs 123 minutes.
- Where can I watch Slap Shot?
- In United States, Slap Shot is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
