Three estranged, middle-aged friends—Adam Yates, a workaholic who was dumped by his girlfriend; neglected husband Nick Webber-Agnew, who works a dead-end job; and Lou Dorchen, an alcoholic slacker—reconnect in 2010 when Lou is hospitalized with carbon monoxide poisoning.
Although Lou denies that he attempted suicide, Adam and Nick arrange for him to join them and Adam's slacker nephew Jacob at Kodiak ValleySki Resort, where the three enjoyed themselves in their youth. When they arrive, they find that the town is not what it used to be, with many of the stores boarded up and the hotel run down.
While drinking in their hotel room's hot tub, the four accidentally douse the console with an energy drink. The next day, they go skiing, and after many strange occurrences, realize they have traveled back to 1986. Adam, Lou, and Nick have also assumed their younger bodies, although Jacob's appearance has not changed since he was not born yet, though he occasionally flickers.
A cryptic repairman appears and warns them not to change anything, as it might affect history. To minimize the butterfly effect, the group plans to re-enact their experiences: Adam has to break up with his girlfriend Jenny and get stabbed in the eye with a fork; Lou must pick a fight with and get beaten up by Blaine, a ski patrol bully; Nick must have sex with a groupie and perform with his band at an open microphone event. They also find Adam's sister—and Jacob's mother—Kelly at the resort.
The three find their tasks difficult; Lou gets punched by Blaine and loses his backpack, but realizes he must face him again later at night, so he reluctantly challenges him again. Adam becomes attracted to Jenny again and loses the will to break up, but is distracted when he meets free-spirited music journalist April during a concert. Nick is concerned about cheating on his wife, even though he has not married yet at the time.
Jenny turns the tables on Adam when she initiates their breakup, but he still gets stabbed in the eye with a fork after he tries to prevent it. He wanders around the resort alone before encountering April, they break into a home and become intimate. Meanwhile, Nick covers more upbeat music during his performance. When the repairman tells Jacob a chemical is the key to their time travel, Jacob realizes it was the energy drink they spilled.
After the group prevents Lou from falling off the rooftop, they go to Blaine's cabin to search for the drink. Lou seduces Kelly but, when Jacob interrupts them having sex, he suddenly vanishes. They realize that Lou is Jacob's father as he reappears after Lou and Kelly finish conceiving him. Leaving Kelly, Lou finally beats Blaine, and the four retrieve the energy drink and return to the hot tub where they create a vortex.
Jacob and Nick enter the tub first, but Lou decides to stay in 1986, admitting to Adam that his carbon monoxide poisoning was in fact a suicide attempt. Knowing the future, he intends to make investments and have a closer relationship with Jacob. Adam wants to stay too, but Lou throws him into the vortex at the last moment.
Back in 2010, Adam, Nick, and Jacob discover that Lou has changed history by founding the immensely successful Lougle, which affords him a luxurious life with Kelly. Adam discovers that he is happily married to April, while Nick is a successful music producer married to a loving and supportive wife. They reunite at Lou's mansion with their families, satisfied with their new lives.
The first trailer for the film and the red-band trailer appeared on July 24, 2009, at Comic-Con 2009 and on the Internet.[7] A second red-band trailer was released on January 26, 2010.[8] The film was screened for free in multiple North American cities in the weeks leading up to its release.[9][10]
The film opened at number three with a weekend gross of $14 million in 2,754 theaters, averaging $5,091 per theater. Hot Tub Time Machine grossed $50.3 million in North America and $14.3 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $64.6 million against a budget of $36 million.[3] It was the last film released and self-distributed theatrically by MGM due to the studio's financial difficulties, until Creed III in 2023.
Hot Tub Time Machine was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on June 29, 2010.[12] An unrated version was also released, with the Blu-ray Disc containing a digital copy.[13]
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, Hot Tub Time Machine has an approval rating of 64% based on 212 reviews, and an average rating of 6.1/10.[14] The website's critical consensus reads: "Its flagrantly silly script – and immensely likable cast – make up for most of its flaws."[14] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 63 out of 100 based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[15] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[16]
The picture moves so quickly and crazily, swerving and skidding and doubling back for seconds, that minor lapses in wit are immediately overtaken by major (and therefore hilarious) lapses in taste.... the undercurrent of misogyny and homophobic panic that courses through most arrested-development, guy-centric comedies these days is certainly present here. But unlike, say, The Hangover, which sweetens and sentimentalizes its man-child characters—allowing them to run wild and then run home to Mommy—Hot Tub Time Machine is honest in its coarseness and pretty tough on the fellows who are the agents and objects of its satire.[17]
Roger Ebert gave the film three stars out of four:
The bottom line is, gross-out guy comedies open twice a month, and many of them are wretched excesses. Hot Tub Time Machine, which wants nothing more than to be a screwball farce, succeeds beyond any expectations suggested by the title.[18]
Soundtrack
Hot Tub Time Machine (Music From the Motion Picture)
The soundtrack for the film, officially titled Hot Tub Time Machine (Music From the Motion Picture), was released in 2010 by Rhino Entertainment. Several of the songs were sung by members of the film.
Some tracks have artists in parentheses; this is the artist who originally performed the song.
Although not a huge commercial success, strong home video sales prompted a sequel to Hot Tub Time Machine.[20] Corddry, Robinson, Duke, Chase, Wolfe, and Stewart all reprised their roles, while Adam Scott was an addition to the cast in the role of Adam Yates Jr., the son of Cusack’s character.[21] Cusack appears in an uncredited cameo in the unrated home video release of the film.[22][23]
Released on February 20, 2015, the sequel was panned by critics and was a box-office failure, grossing less money in its entire domestic theatrical release ($12.3 million) than the original made in its opening weekend ($14 million).[24][25]
