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Idiocracy

Play trailer Poster for Idiocracy R Released Sep 1, 2006 1h 24m Comedy Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
71% Tomatometer 51 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
In 2005, average in every way private Joe Bowers (Luke Wilson) is selected to take part in a secret military experiment to put him in hibernation for a year along with a woman named Rita (Maya Rudolph). The slumbering duo is forgotten when the base they are stored on is closed down and are left in stasis until 2505. When they finally wake up, they discover the average intelligence of humans has decreased so much that Joe is now the smartest man in the world.
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Idiocracy

Idiocracy

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Critics Consensus

Frustratingly uneven yet enjoyable overall, Idiocracy skewers society's devolution with an amiably goofy yet deceptively barbed wit.

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Critics Reviews

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Reihan Salam Slate Idiocracy is easily the most potent political film of the year, and the most stirring defense of traditional values since Edmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France. Apr 9, 2020 Full Review Bilge Ebiri Village Voice The whole film has a drab, somnambulant rhythm. Intentional or not, this is part of its genius. Oct 4, 2016 Full Review Ann Hornaday Washington Post If the world is going to hell in any number of handbaskets -- as Judge so acutely demonstrates that it is -- you might as well hitch a ride in his. May 7, 2009 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Crappy film. Rated: D Nov 20, 2020 Full Review Peter Schom IGN Movies While dumb people are an easy target, Judge makes a mistake in only working variants of this one riff. Rated: 4/10 Apr 9, 2020 Full Review Lucy Barrick Radio Times Although Wilson's everyman is a bit too much of a blank slate to really care about, the gaudy visuals and cynical gags more than compensate. Rated: 3/5 Apr 9, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Lisa M This movie is very funny, which is because its dim view of the future is absolutely justified. So the movie is nearly twenty years old now and probably funnier now than it was originally because we can see how valid it is. Luke Wilson and Maya Renolds are great together. Well paced, and continuous laughs throughout. Really enjoyed it and I'm not suprised at its inappropriately low rating: those people who didn't like it saw themselves as the brunt of the joke. That's gotta hurt! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/15/25 Full Review jeff r At the time of this writing, there is a 61% audience score. Obviously, the 39% who didn't like this movie are exactly who this movie is about Lol... Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/05/25 Full Review Moonbeam S This movie is brilliant. Days, or even years, later you will think about this movie. You have to approach it as bitter satire rather than slapstick comedy. It is a painful lens through which you can see our impending future clearly and without distortion. You will laugh, but it will be the uncomfortable kind of laughter. If you can’t see through this lens, I feel sad for you. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/03/25 Full Review Tim D One of the worst films I have ever seen! It almost feels like a parody of itself Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/26/25 Full Review thomas w My wife and I watched this last night and had a blast. Its satire is more timely now than in 2006. It's availble for rent on Amazon Prime. Has anyone considered re-releasing this movie in the weeks preceding the upcoming mid-term elections? Maya Rudolph's character (a.k.a. Kamela Harris on SNL) made this movie doubly enjoyable. Shame on Fox for killing this film's initial release. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/22/25 Full Review Guin P The movie starts off funny with that idea about smart people taking too long to have kids and ending up not having any. But the way it develops (already in the first few minutes) is so bad that it becomes torture to watch the rest, which never gets any better. I don’t know if it’s because I’m watching it in 2025. Maybe it really was funny 20 years ago. But the movie is really bad. And if you’re looking for some reflection, go read a book. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/21/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Idiocracy

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Cast & Crew

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Mike Judge

Director

Luke Wilson

Pvt. Joe Bowers

Maya Rudolph

Rita

Dax Shepard

Frito

Terry Crews

President Camacho

David Herman

Secretary of State

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Idiocracy

A scene from the film "Idiocracy." A scene from the film "Idiocracy." Idiocracy (2006) Idiocracy (2006) Idiocracy (2006) Idiocracy (2006) Idiocracy (2006) Idiocracy (2006) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In 2005, average in every way private Joe Bowers (Luke Wilson) is selected to take part in a secret military experiment to put him in hibernation for a year along with a woman named Rita (Maya Rudolph). The slumbering duo is forgotten when the base they are stored on is closed down and are left in stasis until 2505. When they finally wake up, they discover the average intelligence of humans has decreased so much that Joe is now the smartest man in the world.
Director
Mike Judge
Producer
Mike Judge, Elysa Koplovitz
Screenwriter
Mike Judge, Etan Cohen
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Twentieth Century Fox
Rating
R (Sex-Related Humor|Language)
Genre
Comedy, Sci-Fi
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 1, 2006, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Oct 4, 2016
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 1, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$438.7K
Runtime
1h 24m
Sound Mix
Dolby, DTS
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