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Python

Python

Sixty feet of pure terror!

TV movie2000100 minRMidcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
Director
Richard Clabaugh
Starring
Frayne Rosanoff, Robert Englund, Casper Van Dien, William Zabka

After a military plane crashes outside of a small American town, its cargo — a genetically engineered, sixty-foot-long python — begins stalking and killing the locals.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Python?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Python streaming on Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Python?

Python earns 2 badges, led by Overhyped and Fun.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Python worth watching?

Python's Midcredits score is the 4th percentile of all films, from 7.8K ratings across 4 sources. 16% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

4th percentile

Better received than 4% of films

9th percentile among Action4th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)8th
Approval (how many liked it)4th

43 /100

8th percentile of all films

14th percentile among Action8th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

Ratings scatter across the whole scale — one of the most divisive reactions in the catalog.

Approval

How many liked it

16% liked it

4th percentile of all films

9th percentile among Action3rd percentile among 2000s
16% rated it 7–1084% rated it 1–6

76th percentile

7.8K ratings across platforms

63rd percentile among Action68th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a cheesy, low-budget creature feature with bad CGI and over-the-top acting, but fans find it fun while detractors find it unwatchable.

Fans praised

  • campy, self-aware fun that doesn't take itself seriously
  • entertaining guilty pleasure with comedic value
  • enjoyable B-movie with a great cast of familiar faces

Detractors panned

  • terrible CGI and cheap special effects that ruin immersion
  • atrocious acting, especially Casper Van Dien's fake accent
  • laughably predictable plot full of logic gaps and clichés

What stands out

HumorDivisive50

intentional and unintentional comedy is the film's main draw for fans; detractors find it annoying

ActingDivisive28

universally panned as over-the-top and amateurish, especially Van Dien's accent; Englund and Zabka occasionally praised by fans

Characters20

thin, clichéd archetypes with little development; annoying comic relief deputy widely criticized

TensionDivisive20

fails to create genuine suspense; snake appearances are often laughable

Plot and story18

predictable, full of logical inconsistencies and derivative of Anaconda

Effects and spectacle15

CGI snake widely mocked as fake and dated; gore scenes described as laughable

Dialogue15

cheesy and trite, with some unintentionally funny lines

Originality10

heavily derivative of Anaconda and other giant creature features

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 4 points apart
  • Critics vs users even
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is Python like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Easy laugh: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something light that makes you laugh and does not take itself seriously.

It leaves you entertained. Skip it when you want something with weight.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Very little.

What it feels like

Easy laugh.

Moods
AbsurdTenseThrilling
Heaviest: middle
Dark humor
Register
Campy · 4% of filmsPlayful
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its monster-movie premise with a knowingly cheesy, self-mocking tone that invites laughter rather than fear.
The rideThe tone swings between intentionally goofy digressions and creature‑attack sequences, with the most action likely concentrated in the middle after the snake reaches town.
StructureThe story unfolds in a conventional, linear order as the snake escapes and the townspeople react.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

FunFeel-good
Why it leaves you this wayViewers leave amused by the cheesy fun and the absurdly triumphant ending.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% (this title) · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA genetically engineered python escapes government control and terrorizes a small Arizona town, forcing a mismatched group to stop it.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% (this title) · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1% (this title)

Survival

SurvivalViolence · 4% of filmsTechnology · 1% of films
Satirizes its theme: Attacks its theme through ridicule.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe central drive is staying alive as a monstrous predator rampages through the town; the film also touches on the dangers of misguided military science.
StanceThe film treats the monster‑attack premise with a wink, making fun of creature‑feature conventions rather than taking the threat seriously.

The world

ContemporaryRuralWildernessRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Daniel Nielsen
SettingA small Arizona town called Ruby, with a chemical plant and surrounding forest.

Content guide

Is Python okay for kids?

R

Python is rated R: “Rated R for violence and gore, some strong sexuality and language” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (85/100), sexual content at intense (69/100), language at moderate (59/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (38/100) and frightening material at moderate (59/100). Its language, drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • AustraliaM
Overall
Intense · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Severe
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 73%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 86%
Profanity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
too few votes to rank (8 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
too few votes to rank (9 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (51 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Python have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Python?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Frayne Rosanoff
as John Cooper
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Robert Englund
as Dr. Anton Rudolph
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Casper Van Dien
as Bart Parker
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
William Zabka
as Greg Larsen
Dana Barron
as Kristin
Sara Mornell
as Theresa
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Wil Wheaton
as Tommy
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg
as Francesca Garibaldi
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Chris Owens
as Brian Cooper
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Sean Whalen
as Deputy Lewis Ross

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Python?

Movies like Python include Sharktopus (2010), Lake Placid (1999) and Eight Legged Freaks (2002). Of the 12 closest matches, most are animal horror films, and most are stories about creatures.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

10 of these 12 share its story type: horror comedy. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Python?

578 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: animal. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.