Swiss Army Man

Swiss Army Man

movie

R, 2016, Comedy, Drama

WISE
48%

WISE Score

73

Avg. Tomatometer

A stranded man befriends a farting corpse in the most aggressively weird buddy comedy you'll ever see—creative brilliance or unwatchable nonsense?

IMDb6.9
RT Critics73%
MC64
Common Sense Media
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Screenwise Verdict

Swiss Army Man is the movie equivalent of that friend who thinks being random is a personality. Except this friend is actually talented and occasionally profound.

The Daniels made something undeniably original—a survival story meets buddy comedy meets existential meditation, all powered by corpse farts. Daniel Radcliffe plays a dead body with more range than some living actors, and Paul Dano sells the emotional journey of a man so lonely he befriends said corpse.

But here's the thing: the creativity doesn't make it watchable for most people, and it definitely doesn't make it appropriate for kids. The crude humor isn't just occasional seasoning—it's the main ingredient. Every tender moment about human connection is sandwiched between fart propulsion and masturbation jokes.

For adventurous adults who appreciate weird indie cinema and don't mind being deeply uncomfortable, this might be fascinating. For everyone else, including anyone under 18, this is a hard pass. The 73% on Rotten Tomatoes tells you critics appreciated the audacity; the walkouts at Sundance tell you what actually happens when people watch it.

It's creative. It's original. It's also kind of unwatchable unless you're in exactly the right mood and demographic.

Age Fit

This is strictly for adults, probably 18+. Common Sense says 16 but honestly, even older teens might find this more uncomfortable than enlightening. The crude humor isn't edgy-teen crude, it's art-house-weird crude, which somehow makes it worse for younger viewers.

WISE Breakdown
Wholesome
42

This is a deeply weird movie about loneliness and connection, but it's wrapped in fart jokes, masturbation references, and a corpse as a main character. The emotional core about isolation and friendship is genuine, but the delivery is aggressively crude and uncomfortable. Not exactly modeling healthy relationships when one party is literally dead and being used as a multi-tool.

Imaginative
88

Wildly original premise executed with genuine creativity. A corpse that farts to propel itself like a jet ski, shoots water from its mouth, and becomes a Swiss Army knife of survival tools? The Daniels (directors) created something truly bizarre and memorable that nobody had seen before. The surreal journey blurs reality and fantasy in ways that stick with you, even if you wish they didn't.

Safe
28

Common Sense Media rates this 16+ for good reason. Pervasive crude humor (flatulence as a major plot device), masturbation references, sexual content including magazine images, some profanity, and the entire premise revolves around a corpse. This is absolutely not something you want a kid stumbling into. The tonal whiplash between touching moments and gross-out comedy makes it unpredictable and uncomfortable for family viewing.

Enriching
58

Underneath all the bodily function jokes, there's a meditation on loneliness, social anxiety, shame, and what it means to connect with another person. The film explores how we perform for others and hide our true selves. But these themes are buried under so many layers of deliberate weirdness and crude humor that the enrichment feels accidental. It's more of a conversation piece than a learning experience—'remember that movie where the corpse farted?'

Parent Info

Why It Might Be Great

  • Genuinely original—nobody has made anything quite like this before or since
  • Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe commit fully to the absurdity with surprising emotional depth
  • Explores loneliness, shame, and human connection in ways that are oddly touching when not being deliberately gross
  • The kind of movie that sparks intense debate—you'll either love its audacity or hate every minute
  • Impressive practical effects and inventive visual storytelling despite the low budget

What to Watch For

  • Pervasive crude humor—flatulence is literally a major plot device throughout
  • Sexual content and masturbation references that are central to the story
  • The entire premise revolves around a corpse, which some will find disturbing or disrespectful
  • Tonal whiplash between genuinely moving moments and gross-out comedy
  • This is absolutely not a family movie despite the quirky marketing—adults only

Conversation Starters

  • "Why do you think the movie uses such crude humor to talk about loneliness and shame?"
  • "What does the corpse represent—is this all happening in Hank's head?"
  • "How do we hide parts of ourselves from other people, and is that always bad?"
  • "What makes something 'too weird'? Where's the line between creative and just gross?"

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