Film

Little Nicky

Name: Little Nicky
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy
Released: 2000
Cast: Adam Sandler, Patricia Arquette, Harvey Keitel, Rhys Ifans, Tommy Lister Jr.

Fantasy
Comedy
Light-hearted

Little Nicky is Adam Sandler's gonzo comedy about a gentle half-demon sent from Hell to stop his scheming brothers from taking over Earth. It's deliberately silly, occasionally inspired, frequently bewildering—a movie that swings wildly and lands maybe half its shots. For Sandler completists and people who find supernatural comedy funny when it doesn't try too hard.

TMDb rating

2.9

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy broad, goofy Sandler comedy with a soft heart underneath, the kind where a daft fish-out-of-water premise is played straight enough to feel sweet.

Skip it if you find Sandler's loud, shouty comic style grating, or you want sharp satire; the jokes are often crude and repetitive, and the gags lean on the performer's energy more than on wit.

What it asks of you: Ninety minutes of loose, cheerful silliness with no need for close attention; it moves quickly, the tone stays light, and it wants you to go along with its cartoonish devilry.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Beetlejuice1988

Another marriage of horror and comedy that works because the film commits fully to both sides. Michael Keaton's manic energy and the film's genuine scares create an off-kilter world you want to stay in.

But It's now 36 years old and the practical effects, while charming, can look dated. The pacing occasionally drags in the middle act.

Ghostbusters1984

The template for supernatural comedy done right: funny, scary, and thrilling in equal measure. The chemistry between the leads carries you through every scene, and the effects still hold up surprisingly well.

But If you've seen it a hundred times already, there's not much new to discover. The second half gets a bit too loud and CGI-heavy for some tastes.

The Frighteners1996

Peter Jackson's pre-Lord of the Rings gem about a con artist who can see ghosts. It has the same commitment to absurdity as Little Nicky but with far better execution and genuine emotional stakes underneath.

But Michael J. Fox's performance is quirky to the point of grating for some viewers. The plot gets convoluted in the final act.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Little Nicky

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Hellraiser1987

Both explore Hell and what damnation means, but Hellraiser treats it as genuine horror while Little Nicky treats it as a playground. They're opposite poles of the same question.

Clive Barker's grimy, seriously committed vision of Hell and desire. It's the inverse of Little Nicky—where Sandler's Hell is cartoonish and silly, Barker's is genuinely terrifying and erotic. But both films ask what Hell actually is.

But It's explicit, graphic, and frequently disturbing. The low budget shows in ways that don't always work in the film's favor.

Drop Dead Fred1991

Phoebe Cates and an anarchic imaginary friend in a film that's chaotic, weird, and doesn't care if you're keeping up. It has genuine heart despite the mayhem and some genuinely funny moments that land.

But The tone is all over the place. Some jokes land, others feel mean-spirited or dated, and the film never finds a consistent rhythm.

Troop Beverly Hills1989

Shelley Long leads a comedy that's unafraid to be colorful and silly without irony. It's warm-hearted, funny in unexpected ways, and treats its characters with genuine affection.

But It's very much a product of 1989 in ways that can feel dated. The humor is broad and won't appeal to everyone looking for something edgy.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen1988

Terry Gilliam's visual fever dream about a man telling increasingly outlandish lies. Uncompromising in its commitment to spectacle and weirdness, it's like watching someone's imagination run completely unmoored.

But It's visually overwhelming and the plot is deliberately incoherent. If you need a clear narrative, this will frustrate you.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen poster

Hudson Hawk1991

Bruce Willis in a heist comedy so aggressively weird and committed to its own strangeness that it becomes hypnotic. It's unafraid to be utterly stupid, and there's something liberating about that.

But It's genuinely terrible by most measures and the constant tonal whiplash exhausts rather than delights. Many viewers find it unwatchable.

Night at the Museum2006

Ben Stiller navigating a museum full of magical chaos has that same anything-goes energy. It's light, frequently goofy, and doesn't pretend to be more clever than it is.

But It's aggressively kid-friendly to the point of feeling toothless. The comedy relies on slapstick and shouting rather than actual wit.

Encino Man1992

Brendan Fraser as a caveman discovering the '90s is Sandler-adjacent comedy—broad, physical, unconcerned with sophistication. There's an innocence to it that's charming despite the obvious jokes.

But The humor is extremely dated and painfully broad. If you're looking for anything beyond surface-level comedy, you won't find it here.

Klaus2019

Both films are fundamentally about outsiders and misfits—Nicky in his stupidity, Klaus in his isolation—finding unexpected connection and purpose. Same emotional core, radically different execution.

A gorgeously animated film about a cynical postal worker and a mysterious woodsman that finds profound warmth in an unexpected friendship. It has the heart and gentleness that Little Nicky reaches for but never quite finds.

But It's a stop-motion feature that can feel slow if you're not patient with animation. Some find the ending saccharine.

Braindead1992

Both are comedies willing to go weird and ugly in service of the joke, but Dead Alive commits to the grotesque with complete seriousness while Little Nicky keeps backing away to safety. They're different philosophies of commitment.

Peter Jackson's pre-fame splatter comedy that's genuinely unhinged—graphic, weird, and committed to the bit no matter how far it goes. It's what happens when you give a mad genius a tiny budget and no notes.

But It's extremely gory and grotesque. If you have a sensitive stomach or find graphic violence distasteful rather than funny, this will not work for you.