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3.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 3.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Freshman's Finish remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a weird itch for silent-era slapstick and don't mind that the humor is basically just people being jerks to each other, you might dig it. But if you’re looking for a coherent story or characters with depth, skip it. You’ll probably hate this if you get annoyed by constant, frantic physical comedy that doesn't really go anywhere.
It’s honestly kind of exhausting watching these characters constantly plot ways to ruin each other’s days. College life here is just one long, miserable prank war.
There’s this specific energy in The Freshman's Finish that reminds me a bit of the frantic pacing in When the Clouds Roll by, though without the same level of polish. The whole thing feels like a collection of sketches glued together by the thinnest plot imaginable.
Sometimes the camera just sits there while two guys wrestle over a hat. It lasts way too long. I found myself checking my watch, wondering if they were ever going to actually get to class.
The class struggle here isn't intellectual; it’s just guys tripping over their own feet and throwing things. It makes me realize that college movies haven't changed all that much, they just got louder. Honestly, it's a bit petty.
If you've seen enough of these, you know exactly how the pranks will land. Someone gets wet, someone gets embarrassed, everyone looks at the camera. It’s a formula, sure, but it’s a dusty one.
I can't say I loved it, but it’s a strange little time capsule. It feels like someone just pointed a camera at a bunch of guys acting like fools for an hour and decided to call it a film. Sometimes, that’s enough. 🍿