With Anaconda Coming Out, Let's Revisit An Underrated 2008 Comedy With Steve Zahn That Isn't As Bad As Its 2% Score On Rotten Tomatoes

With the 2025 movie schedule winding down, there are a few releases I’m more excited to see than Anaconda, Paul Rudd and Jack Black’s new comedy. However, I’m really excited to see Steve Zahn in a new adventure film that gives me similar vibes to one of the actor’s funniest yet worst-rated movies: Strange Wilderness. The movie was panned by critics upon its release in 2008, but they don’t always get it right.

For the better part of the past 20 years, I’ve been one of this movie’s biggest supporters and one of the few people who saw it in theaters (or who’ll admit to it). That said, I think it’s about time we revisit this over-the-top comedy about a group of friends looking for Bigfoot…

Let’s Address The Elephant In The Room: Strange Wilderness’ RT Score

Though I remembered critics hating Strange Wilderness when it came out back in early 2008, I was shocked upon discovering it had a 2% score (35% on the Popcornmeter) on Rotten Tomatoes. I don’t agree with this extremely low rating, but I have to admit that I do love the Critics Consensus on the site, which reads: “Strange Wilderness is a laugh-free comedy that’s both aimless and overly crass.”

Admittedly, the story about Peter Gaulke (Zahn) trying to save the once-respected nature documentary series created by his late father is crass, vulgar, and utterly absurd, with its blend of 2000s dude-centric and stoner comedy. That said, what’s not to love about a group of friends setting out to find Bigfoot?

Though Not The Best Movie Of All Time, Strange Wilderness Is Hilarious

I’m not going to sit here and act like this is the best movie of all time, or even the funniest movie of 2008 (Tropic Thunder, Pineapple Express, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall all came out that year), but this dumb little comedy is outrageously hilarious. Rotten Tomatoes and its Critics Consensus be damned!

I don’t want to spoil too much about a 17-year-old movie (which was filmed way back in 2005, by the way), but there’s a scene involving a shark that still makes my friends and me fall over laughing whenever we bring it up. Zahn doing the impression of a shark laughing is peak comedy, if I’m being honest. However, that’s just one of the hilarious scenes, as this supposedly “laugh-free” movie is full of them.

Strange Wilderness Is Streaming For Free… With A Library Card

You can rent or buy a copy of Strange Wilderness with an Amazon subscription, but you also have the chance to do the funniest thing ever. This oft-forgotten 2008 movie is streaming for free with Hoopla, the digital platform accessible with a valid library card. Sure, there are better uses for your library card and the Hoopla app, but using both to watch one of the silliest and most asinine comedies of the past 20 years just feels oh so appropriate for a movie like this.

Stream Strange Wilderness on Hoopla.

Again, this isn’t the most well-received comedy available right now, but where else are you going to see a laughing shark, Justin Long with eyeballs tattooed on his eyelids, or an encounter with Bigfoot? There’s nothing rotten about that!