Gross, silly, caustic, tasteless and obnoxious are all adjectives that alternately apply to Monty Python's The Meaning of Life though probably the most appropriate description would simply be funny.
The Meaning of Life
✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ Read critic reviews
United Kingdom · 1983
Rated R · 1h 47m
Director Terry Jones
Starring Terry Gilliam, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle
Genre Comedy
Add to Watchlist
Please login to add films to your watchlist.
The Monty Python troupe is trying to look at life to answer all of the big questions. Through a series of vignettes they present life from birth to death, a metaphysical investigation into what gives our lives meaning at each stage of its development, engaging with topics ranging from sex education to organized religion.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
You will not necessarily know any more about life after the film is done, but you'll have killed a couple of hours painlessly, and you will have laughed a lot. [18 Apr 1984, p.C6]
Excessive and self-indulgent it's true but still the Pythons at their worst are still worth a look.
Entertainment Weekly by Keith Staskiewicz
It’s tough to find the meaning in much of the craziness on display here, let alone the meaning of all human existence as the title promises, but you will find a whole lot of exquisite nonsense.
The Meaning Of Life is unsparing and elaborate in its vision of humanity at its foulest.
Chicago Sun-Times by Roger Ebert
A movie that seems consumed with a desire to push us too far. This movie is so far beyond good taste, and so cheerfully beyond, that we almost feel we're being One-Upped if we allow ourselves to be offended.
The New York Times by Vincent Canby
Monty Python's the Meaning of Life is funny but, being unreasonable, I wish it were funny from start to finish.
Users who liked this film also liked
Brazil
It's only a state of mind.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, United States • 1985
- Director Terry Gilliam
- Cast Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Bob Hoskins, Michael Palin
- Genre Comedy, Science Fiction
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand
Life of Brian
He's not the Messiah. He's just an average guy.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 1979
- Director Terry Jones
- Cast Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
- Genre Comedy
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
A wacky take on the adventures of the legendary King Arthur.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 1975
- Director Terry Jones
- Cast Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
- Genre Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube
And Now for Something Completely Different
If the Motion Picture Industry dies... Monty Python killed it!
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 1971
- Director Ian MacNaughton
- Cast Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
- Genre Comedy
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube
Tideland
The squirrels made it seem less lonely.
- ✭
- United Kingdom, Canada • 2005
- Director Terry Gilliam
- Cast Jodelle Ferland, Janet McTeer, Jennifer Tilly, Jeff Bridges, Brendan Fletcher, Dylan Taylor
- Genre Fantasy, Drama, Thriller, Science Fiction
- Available on Fandor, Fandor Amazon Channel, Screambox Amazon Channel, ARROW, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Tubi TV, Midnight Pulp, Kanopy
The Hairdresser's Husband
(Le mari de la coiffeuse)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1990
- Director Patrice Leconte
- Cast Jean Rochefort, Anna Galiena, Roland Bertin, Maurice Chevit, Philippe Clévenot, Jacques Mathou
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Available on Amazon Video
Jabberwocky
Jabberwocky: the monster so horrible that people caught the plague to avoid it
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 1977
- Director Terry Gilliam
- Cast Michael Palin, Harry H. Corbett, John Le Mesurier, Warren Mitchell, Max Wall, Rodney Bewes
- Genre Comedy, Fantasy
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Criterion Channel, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Freevee, Kanopy, Hoopla, Plex, Plex Channel
The Hudsucker Proxy
A naive business graduate is installed as president of a manufacturing company as part of a stock scam.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, Germany, United States • 1994
- Director Joel Coen
- Cast Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Paul Newman, Charles Durning, John Mahoney, Jim True-Frost
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, The Roku Channel, Kanopy
Clockwise
Mr. Stimpson ran his life and everyone else's by the clock. Then one day at 2:09 and 43 seconds... The clock decided to strike back.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 1986
- Director Christopher Morahan
- Cast John Cleese, Alison Steadman, Penelope Wilton, Stephen Moore, Geoffrey Palmer, Benjamin Whitrow
- Genre Comedy
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, The Roku Channel
Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl
Never before in the history of human civilization has there been a movie called "Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl"
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 1982
- Director Ian MacNaughton, Terry Hughes
- Cast Terry Gilliam, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
- Genre Comedy
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads, Apple TV, Amazon Video
Fierce Creatures
A quaint English zoo is the setting for a riotous revolt after its director announces to only display "fierce creatures."
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, United States • 1997
- Director Fred Schepisi, Robert Young
- Cast John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin, Robert Lindsay, Ronnie Corbett
- Genre Comedy, Romance
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
An account of Baron Munchausen's supposed adventures with his band of misfits.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, West Germany • 1988
- Director Terry Gilliam
- Cast John Neville, Eric Idle, Sarah Polley, Oliver Reed, Charles McKeown, Winston Dennis
- Genre Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Family
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, AMC on Demand
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky
A passionate, intense love affair between two fascinating creative giants.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Japan, Switzerland • 2009
- Director Jan Kounen
- Cast Anna Mouglalis, Mads Mikkelsen, Natacha Lindinger, Elena Morozova, Grigori Manoukov
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube
The Crimson Permanent Assurance
Our short film presentation
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 1983
- Director Terry Gilliam
- Cast Sydney Arnold, Guy Bertrand, Andrew Bicknell, Ross Davidson, Myrtle Devenish, Tim Douglas
- Genre Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
- Available on No streaming locations found.
The Garden of Sinners: Future Gospel
(劇場版 空の境界 未来福音 the Garden of sinners/recalled out summer)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2013
- Director Tomonori Sudo
- Cast Maaya Sakamoto, Kenichi Suzumura, Takako Honda, Yuka Iguchi, Akira Ishida, Hisako Kanemoto
- Genre Animation, Science Fiction
- Available on No streaming locations found.