Over the years, I’ve watched Wet Hot AmericanSummer more times than I can count. Seriously, it has to be dozens of times between random bits on cable or multiple screenings with my wife over the years. I recently went back and rewatched the iconic summer camp movie about the final day of Camp Firewood’s 1981 season, and there are so many random thoughts I can’t get out of my head.
From the absurdity of David Wain’s semi-autobiographical R-rated comedy to the outrageously talented cast to the fact that Paul Rudd hasn’t aged since 2001, there’s a lot to unpack here.
It’s Crazy How Many Of The Actors Became Massive Stars
Watching Wet Hot American Summer in 2025 is a wild experience, and not just because this movie is straight-up bonkers. I mean, just look at the cast. You’ve got everyone from The State who’ve gone on to find success, but also Bradley Cooper and Amy Poehler are in the mix, both of whom have become top A-listers since the film’s release.
Andy Killed At Least Four Kids, Right?
Paul Rudd’s Andy is probably the most non-Paul Rudd character the actor has ever given us. Not only is he sassy, sulky, annoying, and flaky, but he also killed at least four kids – two from drowning and two by throwing them out of a van at a high rate of speed. Dude is a menace!
The ‘Going Into Town’ Scene Is The Gift That Keeps On Giving
Whenever I go back to watch Wet Hot American Summer, the scene I always look forward to the most is the “Going Into Town” sequence. It starts off harmless enough, but quickly devolves into a manic, depressing, and incredibly dark few minutes.
‘It’s Always Fun To Get Away From Camp, Even For An Hour’ Kills Me
One thing I love about the “Town” sequence is when the counselors come back from robbing old ladies, stealing sixers, and joining a Trainspotting situation, it’s revealed they were only gone for an hour.
I Still Can’t Figure Out How Old The Counselors Are Supposed To Be
I’m not talking about the Wet Hot American Summer: First Day at Camp miniseries years after the movie’s release, where the cast didn’t care how old they looked. This is more of an honest question. Are the counselors adults? Teenagers? Both? It’s all over the place here.
Wet Hot American Summer Takes All The Best Camp Movie Tropes And Mashes Them Together For A Gonzo Experience
Wet Hot American Summer takes movies like Meatballs, Ernest Goes to Camp, and countless others, combines them, and spits out some gonzo amalgamation of those classics. It’s off-kilter, and that’s what makes it so weird and fun.
I Still Don’t Understand How Henry And The Nerdy Kids Were Going To Change Skylab’s Path, But I’ll Allow It
Alan Shemper (Michael Showalter) with his standup routine at the Camp Talent Show is great in Wet Hot American Summer, but it’s the response from the campers and counselors that makes it so ridiculous. The exaggerated laughter just gets crazier and crazier as his routine continues.
I Still Don’t Understand How Henry And The Nerdy Kids Change Skylab’s Path, But I’ll Allow It
There are so many random subplots in Wet Hot American Summer, and one of the most bonkers is the one involving ASSOCIATE Professor Henry Newman (David Hyde Pierce) and a group of nerds trying to prevent a piece of Skylab from falling on the camp. I don’t get it, and I think that’s the point.
But Was That Steve Who Saved The Day With His Weather Manipulation?
Henry and company might have had a hand in saving the camp, but I totally think it was Steve (Kevin Sussman) and his wind manipulation that stopped the piece of space junk from falling on the talent show.
‘You Taste Like A Burger’ Is The Most Ridiculous Way Of Breaking Up With Someone
Andy and Lindsay (Elizabeth Banks) have a budding romance in Wet Hot American Summer until the annoying counselor tells his make-out buddy that she tastes like a burger before calling things off. Ice cold!
I Can’t Get Over The Fact That Chris Meloni Was In Wet Hot American Summer, Law & Order SVU, and Oz At The Same Time
At a single point in the early 21st century, Christopher Meloni was playing Gene the cook in Wet Hot American Summer, Chris Keller on Oz, and Elliot Stabler on Law & Order: SVU. I have nothing to add; this is just wild to think about.
Victor’s Arc Is Both Hilarious And Heartbreaking, But Mostly Hilarious
Ken Marino’s Victor in Wet Hot American Summer has perhaps the film’s most over-the-top, hilarious, and heartbreaking arc, especially after going from thinking he was going to hook up with a girl to wrecking a van to running back to camp to nearly dying in the woods to finding said girl with another guy. At least he has great hair.
I Love The Fact That The “9, 9:30” Reunion Joke Paid Off 16 Years Later In The Netflix Series
There’s a great scene where the counselors talk about getting back together 10 years later, which they do in the 2017 Netflix miniseries, where they do the greatest thing ever by acknowledging the joke from long ago.
Paul Rudd Playing A Sassy Teenager Is Just Too Good Here
Paul Rudd’s Andy isn’t the most likable character. Heck, he’s not even Rudd’s best role. However, the Clueless actor perfectly pulled off the sassy, arrogant, and rude teenager better than just about anyone else.
Beth Waiting 10 Seconds To Meet Henry At The Picnic Table Is Such A Great Yet Overlooked Moment
Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good time-based bit, and Wet Hot American Summer features an all-time great when Henry tells Beth (Janeane Garofalo) to wait around 10 seconds before walking over to him. And she does. It’s silly, it’s unnecessary, and it’s hilarious.
Seriously, The Number Of Kids In Peril Here Is Wild
Kids driving motorboats, kids getting thrown out of cars, kids almost getting crushed by space junk, the movie has it all… including a group of kids on a river trip by themselves that ends with them going over a cliff.
The Motorcycle Chase Scene Is Just Too Much, And I Love It
Neil (Joe Lo Truglio) chasing Victor on a motorcycle after his fellow counselor abandoned him and a van of campers is just too much. The tonal shift of the film, the visual of a man outrunning a motorcycle with little to no effort, tand he obstacles that prove to be too much for Neil. All of it is wonderfully absurd.
The Deconstruction Of The ‘Unlikely Team Of Misfits’ Trope Is Top-Notch Comedy
Just when you think Wet Hot American Summer is going to take a cue from the great kids sports movies with its “unlikely team of misfits” speech, the movie throws the trope out the window, and the big game with a rival camp is called off at the last minute.
Coop Storming Off, Getting Caught In A Bucket, Slipping On A Banana Peel, And Landing In A Pool Is Peak Physical Comedy
The physical comedy in this movie is top-notch, and that’s especially true in the scene where an upset Coop gets caught in a bucket, slips on a banana peel, and then lands in a small pool is peak form.
Can We Talk About That Training Montage?
There are so many great movies with intense training scenes, and I feel weird including Wet Hot American Summer. However, that’s very much the case here with the random montage of Gene turning Coop from a teenager into a man. It’s just great!
The Talking Can Of Mixed Vegetables Scene Is So Random, But It Makes Sense In A Movie Like This
The incredible H. Jon Benjamin voicing a can of mixed vegetables in Wet Hot American Summer is one of the oddest things I’ve seen in a movie. I know, his backstory is explained in the 2015 Netflix series, but spending the better part of two decades not knowing if this was real or not was quite an experience.
Ben And McKinley’s Wedding Scene Is Hilarious But Also Poignant
Ben (Bradley Cooper) and McKinley’s (Michael Ian Black) wedding is both hilarious (Amy Poehler’s flute playing) and poignant, and is handled in a meaningful and purposeful way. No notes.
The Number Of Times My Wife And I Watched This Movie When We First Started Dating Is Shocking
Back when Wet Hot American Summer was a staple on Netflix, my wife and I would watch it all the time. I’ve honestly lost count of how many times we’ve gone back to Camp Firewood over the years. Not so much now with the three kids, but back in our younger days, it was a monthly staple.
Gail Von Kleinenstein Turning Arts & Crafts Into A Therapy Session Perfectly Captures The Adult Experience
Molly Shannon’s Gail Von Kleinenstein turning her arts & crafts hour into an unorthodox and mortally questionable therapy session is honestly one of the quirks about this movie that makes it so great. Yeah, there are some ethical questions to answer, but let’s not think about those.
Arty Solomon Could Very Well Be My Favorite Character
The first time I watched Wet Hot American Summer, I thought Arty Solomon was just your normal radio-obsessed camper. However, he’s anything but. Over the years, the stinky camper who refuses to bathe or live in our reality (his microphone isn’t plugged in) has become my favorite character.
Beth And Henry Looking At Highly Specific Sections In The Library Is Too Good
The budding romance between Beth and Henry is one of the charms of Wet Hot American Summer and a subplot I love to revisit from time to time. What I love about it is the way in which it takes what could be a very straightforward love affair but turns the wonkiness up a bit. One of the best moments in this romance comes when they are both at the library at the same time (not knowing it, though), looking at very specific sections – Beth is looking at astrophysics (which isn’t that odd) while Henry glances over books on being a camp director.
I Didn’t Realize Henry And Niles From Frasier Were Played By The Same Actor For Nearly A Quarter-Century
Hi, it’s me, I’m the guy who didn’t know that Niles from Frasier and Henry from Wet Hot American Summer were played by the same guy until 2025. Carry on…
My Summer Camp Was Nowhere As Fun As Camp Firewood, And I Think I Missed Out
I went to an overnight camp in central Louisiana for a few years when I was younger, and things were never as crazy as they were in Wet Hot American Summer. Sure, the counselors were up to no good at times, but we didn’t have a boat, or river trips, or talking cans of veggies. I feel like I was missing out.
Katie’s Big Turn On Coop At The End Is Something
The whole movie, it feels like Katie (Marguerite Moreau) has a thing for Coop, and that they’ll eventually end up together before the movie ends. While that is partially true, the love of Coop’s young life informs him at the last second that she just wants to be friends before riding off with Andy in some random guy’s car. Brutal!
Susie’s Meltdown About The Talent Show Is Some Of Amy Poehler’s Best Work
Susie, the director and choreographer of the musical at the talent show, is one of the most outrageous characters in Wet Hot American Summer, especially when it comes to the production she’s putting on with Ben. Her meltdown when she suspects Beth is trying to sabotage her project is so out of left field. Honestly, it’s some of her best work, which is saying something.
The Search For Victor Is So Chaotic, So Random, And So Awesome
The scene near the end of the movie, where Beth and Neil go insane looking for Victor so he can save the campers from going over a cliff, is nuts. They run wild all over the camp, not listening to anyone or reason, and it creates a chaotic cap on an already wild movie.
I Remember Watching This Movie As A Kid And Just Not Getting It
I first watched Wet Hot American Summer when I was like 13 years old, and I remember just not getting it at the time. Years later, it’s one of my favorite movies.
