The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)—quirky sci-fi comedy that stands the test of time

Seconds before the Earth is demolished by an alien construction crew, an Englishman is swept off the planet by his hitchhiking alien friend.

Films we see and love as children and teenagers sometimes don’t hold up to a rewatch when we’re older, or turn out to have a lot more going on than our young brains could comprehend. They can also imprint on you in peculiar ways, giving you references which you don’t understand, a taste for a kind of humour, or a lifelong celebrity crush. Garth Jennings’s 2005 adaptation of Douglas Adams’ book, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, certainly is that kind of film to me. As a French-Canadian 12-year-old, I hadn’t yet been subjected to wacky British humour (although I would discover gems like Monty Python a few years later), and even with a taste for science fiction thanks to my parents’ love of trilogies like Star Wars (1977–1983) and Back to the Future (1985–89), the genre was still more of a mystery to me.

Admittedly, this film adaptation is a watered-down one to some degree. Watching as an adult, its Americanisation is now evident to me, and it feels like a business move to appeal to North American audiences. Adams’ work is singular and has amassed a unique and very knowledgeable fanbase, much like other lore-heavy cult classics like The Lord of the Rings (2001–03), or lesser-known internet universes like the SCP Foundation. Originally a comedy radio series broadcast in 1978, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy evolved into a series of novels and comic-books. It was then adapted into a 1981 TV show and even had a video game spin-off in 1984. While I don’t think having read any of the books is a prerequisite to enjoying the 2005 film, I highly recommend it if you did enjoy the movie, as the universe is rich, the writing is hilarious, and the author is very serious about being as un-serious as possible.