The 80s were a golden age for comedy films, especially those taking a coming-of-age approach focusing on characters in high school and university. The world of movies had become wildly profitable by this time. The CBC Archives states that the late 80s saw the video rental market as a 2 billion dollar-a-year business. Everyone was trying to get a piece of that pie, from big studio affairs with anything from E.T. and The Terminator to films shot by three friends with their at-home video camcorder like the Canadian classic THINGS. This uptick in films led to a spectrum of quality from one project to the next. Everyone was trying to be John Hughes, but only a few really had the sensibilities and talent found in the many films he wrote, directed, and produced in his lifetime. 

Revenge Of The Nerds is one of those films produced during the heyday of rowdy teen cinema. The simple plot follows a couple of nerds who go to college in hopes of finding themselves and having a good time. Right as their studies begin, the jocks start to get in the way of their future prospects. The pair, along with their newfound friends, decide to take matters into their own hands and shake up the power structure at their college.

It’s not the most complex plot in the world, but many of the films produced at this period in cinema, especially this teen subgenre, didn’t focus too hard on breaking new ground with their stories. These films focused more on funny moments and endearing characters that the audience would get swept up with. Revenge Of The Nerds left an impact on the audience when it came out back in 1984, and it has influenced many future films from those who grew up with it. For example, Emma Seligman’s Bottoms (2024) takes some inspiration, as both films follow two nerds in their respective academic institutions attempting to conquer the hierarchy while also trying to score girls. Both films also take a unique perspective on the simple message of “being yourself despite what others think”. The question is: has Revenge Of The Nerds stood the test of time, or have the nerds finally become dated?

My parents showed me this film when I was a teenager. Their persistence in showing me classics was impactful in my younger years–this includes the first movie that made me truly love film when I was five, Back To The Future from 1985. I remember seeing Revenge of the Nerds when I was around thirteen and I thought it was pretty good. It wasn’t on the same level as other classics I was shown or discovered, but it also wasn’t the worst thing I’d ever seen. 

The plot isn’t the most compelling thing to come out of the decade, and the characters aren’t the most three-dimensional as many fall into stereotypes of the subgenre, but it’s structurally sound as a film. It follows the beats that many of these types of stories do and there were some good laughs to be had, but it doesn’t touch the greatness of many others that those alive to experience firsthand look back at fondly. 

Being a teenager on first watch also led me to not fully grasp certain elements that made it notable or funny. Seeing it as an adult changes that perspective as it does with many other childhood classics. My appreciation — or lack thereof — seems to grow or dissipate with that mature mindset depending on the film itself. Rewatching Revenge Of The Nerds as a twenty-three-year-old who’s survived college changes my perspective.

The 80s weren’t shy when it came to throwing jokes at the wall to see what sticks, and this film is no exception. Unlike a classic like The Breakfast Club (1985), so many forewent strong elements stated previously and replaced them with cheap humor that punched at everything and everyone possible. Revenge Of The Nerds is, unfortunately, one that falls into the latter category, as it’s a new-joke-every-minute type affair that works for some films but doesn’t entirely work for this one. Some of the situational humor in this film is quite funny, but that unfortunately doesn’t take up a bulk of the runtime.

A bigger use of the 90 minutes is telling jokes that play into wildly inaccurate stereotypes that don’t work in this day and age. This also includes plotlines that play into ideas and concepts that seem severely over the line in the twenty-first century. There’s one moment with a love interest in the final act that crosses a respectability line that should be acknowledged, as the representation of such an event is done so poorly that it sticks out like a sore thumb. That moment, along with some of the wildly insensitive jokes, leaves an impact on this one because it doesn’t really have a strong or unique use of story or characters to lean on for support so as to direct the audience’s attention elsewhere. 

Another issue is the clear padding. Many scenes play out for far too long, and you can clearly tell that they were trying to hit that ninety-minute runtime. I, in no way, would want a longer version of this film and the structure may have helped if they cut about five or ten minutes out of the narrative. The alternative would have been a more complex or thought-out story and characters, but this film was definitely not aiming for that. These types of films focus on wild bits and crazy sexual escapades, so they had enough in this version to sell it to the contemporary landscape of teenagers. 

The element of the film that saves it from being an entire write-off is the very loud, in-your-face message. While the film has some dodgy elements, one can’t deny that the “be yourself despite what others think” virtue is an important one. That part of the film resonates as opposed to some of the content that may have not aged well. You follow a group of students who aren’t the stereotypical bunch who find a way to stand out and be themselves in a sea of structure. 

The fondness for these films comes from the general nostalgia of audiences who grew up watching these 80s coming-of-age comedies. My parents would have been the same age as the characters in these films, so there’s a personal resonance there that only their generation can truly understand. For me, it was always a fun addition to summer movie marathons on television squeezed between Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) and National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983). That kick-ass performance from the nerds at the college fair also helps bring the score up!

While Revenge Of The Nerds isn’t the most polished film and some of the attempts at humor have aged poorly, it’s ultimately a staple of 80s cinema that still resonates with those who have fond memories of it. I wouldn’t put it on the same level as my all-time favorites of the era, but it’s still a fun watch to go back to once in a while.

Review Courtesy of Becca Harleen

Feature Image Credit to 20th Century Fox via The Hollywood Reporter