Slap Shot

Play trailer

Slap Shot

R

1977

2h 3m

Comedy

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

38 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

In the small New England town of Charlestown, the local mill is about to lay off 10,000 workers. The town's minor league hockey team, the Charlestown Chiefs, is doing no better. After years of failure, this will be the team's last season. Exasperated player and coach Reggie Dunlop (Paul Newman) lets the club's recent acquisitions, the Hanson Brothers, play. The brothers' actively violent and thuggish style of play excites the fans. Dunlop retools the team, using violence to draw big crowds.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Raunchy, violent, and very funny, Slap Shot is ultimately set apart by a wonderful comic performance by Paul Newman.

Read Critics Reviews

Stephanie Zacharek

TIME Magazine

08/01/2024

Newman often cited the role of Dunlop as one of his favorites; the performance, in all its wicked, foul-mouthed glory, is freeing to watch. No wonder Newman loved the experience.

Go to Full Review

Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

09/13/2023

What holds the picture together is the warmth supplied by Paul Newman. As Reggie, the player-coach of the Chiefs, a minor-league ice-hockey team, he gives the performance of his life -- to date.

Go to Full Review

Dan Epstein

Rolling Stone

09/21/2017

Slap Shot remains the greatest sports flick of the 1970s.

Go to Full Review

Sean Burns

Crooked Marquee

07/23/2023

Newman’s breeziest, most waggishly charming role.

Go to Full Review

Steve Warren

The Barb (Atlanta)

05/09/2023

Believe it or not, this leads to a moral ending, and provides a lot of laughs along the way, mostly involving foul play or foul language.

Go to Full Review

Stephen Silver

Tilt Magazine

03/04/2022

B+

Its the best movie ever made about its sport; you can have your Miracle. (45th anniversary)

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

G W

@Tonopah May 31

On the Mt Rushmore of comedy, and the greatest hockey movie ever made.

See more

Smith D.

@RT30928287 May 27

What makes Slap Shot work is the exceptional performance of Paul Newman. Perhaps it’s the fact that we all know him is this bright eyed blonde straight man, and the fact that he is so off brand and outrageous just gives the absurdity of the film constantly surrounding him a strange kind of credence. It also strikes me as a film that must’ve been extremely important to the shaping of directors like Wes Anderson. Maybe not in terms of content, but certainly in terms of filmmaking aesthetics.

See more

Indiana S

@JayStates Apr 25

The worst hockey movie ever made.

See more

Joseph I

@RT90905012 Apr 18

Just mildly funny. Slow at times. I was disappointed.

See more

Russell H

@RT85733992 Mar 23

It was silly and all over the place. Pace was a little slow but the good parts hit. It would have been 3 and a half stars but the Hanson Brothers made it a 4. They should have been more featured.

See more

paul L

@RT07931946 Mar 13

By modern standards, it may look dull. And though it is a relic of it's era, it is owed a great debt for early boundary pushing. Paul Newman added the wholesome element to balance the raunch- a balance that is still used today. The sports narrative is actually almost more engaging than the comedy. Release date: 1977 - essentially 50 years ago as I write this review in 2026. Back then it was tricky to get to theaters with even 4 minutes of edgy comedy and just 10 years later in 1987: Trains, Planes and Automobiles and Space Balls released. Clearly, a lot happened to push the envelope in those 10 years and this movie can be thanked for that momentum. Aside from historical impact and sentimental value though: ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz wake me up for the one or two great scenes.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

George Roy Hill

Director

Paul Newman

Reggie Dunlop

Michael Ontkean

Ned Braden

Lindsay Crouse

Lily

Strother Martin

McGrath

Jennifer Warren

Francine

Slap Shot: Official Clip - Fashion Show

2:18

Slap Shot: Official Clip - Braden's Striptease

2:58

Slap Shot: Official Clip - Old-Time Hockey

2:17

Slap Shot: Official Clip - Reg Taunts the Goalie

2:53

Slap Shot: Official Clip - Reggie vs. The Owner

2:08

Slap Shot: Official Clip - The Hansons Play Dirty

2:59

Slap Shot: Official Clip - The Hanson Brothers

2:23

Slap Shot: Official Clip - Pre-Game Brawl

1:48

Slap Shot: Official Clip - The Hansons Are Pumped

0:57

Slap Shot: Official Clip - The Finer Points of Hockey

1:58

View more videos

Melvin and Howard

91%

60%

Melvin and Howard

Watchlist

Taking Off

100%

83%

Taking Off

Watchlist

The Milagro Beanfield War

61%

74%

The Milagro Beanfield War

Watchlist

The Breakfast Club

87%

92%

The Breakfast Club

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Breakfast Club

Once Around

70%

73%

Once Around

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

In the small New England town of Charlestown, the local mill is about to lay off 10,000 workers. The town's minor league hockey team, the Charlestown Chiefs, is doing no better. After years of failure, this will be the team's last season. Exasperated player and coach Reggie Dunlop (Paul Newman) lets the club's recent acquisitions, the Hanson Brothers, play. The brothers' actively violent and thuggish style of play excites the fans. Dunlop retools the team, using violence to draw big crowds.

Director: George Roy Hill
Producer: Stephen Friedman, Robert J. Wunsch
Screenwriter: Nancy Dowd
Distributor: MCA, MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Kings Road Entertainment, Pan Arts Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 25, 1977, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 19, 2015
Runtime: 2h 3m
Sound Mix: Mono