A bright, fast-moving monster comedy with a strong visual style and a playful take on classic horror icons. It’s more charming than deep, but the energy, gags, and surprisingly sweet father-daughter core make it easy to recommend, especially for family viewing or anyone who likes animated comedies with a gothic twist.
37% ★★☆☆☆ (991,814)
Hotel Transylvania
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Animation · Comedy · PG
2012 · 1h 31m · ★ 37% (992K)
Where monsters go to get away from it all.
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Starring: Selena Gomez, Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg
Overview
Welcome to Hotel Transylvania, Dracula's lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up and no humans are allowed. One special weekend, Dracula has invited all his best friends to celebrate his beloved daughter Mavis's 118th birthday. For Dracula catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem but the party really starts when one ordinary guy stumbles into the hotel and changes everything!
Director
Genndy Tartakovsky
Production
Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation
Cast
Selena Gomez, Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade, Cee Lo Green, Jon Lovitz, Brian George, Luenell, Brian Stack, Chris Parnell, Jackie Sandler, Sadie Sandler, Robert Smigel, Rob Riggle, Paul Brittain, Jonny Solomon
Curator Review
Verdict
A bright, fast-moving monster comedy with a strong visual style and a playful take on classic horror icons. It’s more charming than deep, but the energy, gags, and surprisingly sweet father-daughter core make it easy to recommend, especially for family viewing or anyone who likes animated comedies with a gothic twist.
Best for
families looking for a spooky-but-safe comedy
viewers who enjoy fast-paced animated slapstick
fans of monster mash-ups and pop-culture riffs
people who like sentimental stories about overprotective parents
Skip if
you want sharp, adult-level satire
you dislike broad voice-acting comedy
you prefer animation with more emotional complexity
you’re not in the mood for a very kid-friendly tone
Overview
Hotel Transylvania is a slick, energetic monster romp that gets a lot of mileage out of its premise. The hotel setting is a perfect playground for visual gags, and the movie keeps things moving with enough invention to stay entertaining even when the jokes are broad.
Worth noting
What gives it staying power is the family angle. Dracula’s overprotectiveness gives the story a real emotional spine, and the movie finds a sweet spot between spooky iconography and sincere sentiment. It’s not especially subtle, but it knows exactly what kind of crowd-pleaser it wants to be.
Bottom line
The humor is hit-or-miss, leaning heavily into cartoon chaos and celebrity-voice banter, but the design work and comic timing are strong enough to carry it. If you’re open to a lightweight animated comedy with a gothic flavor, it’s an easy watch.
Top Letterboxd reviews
vi (5★) · 7002 likes
this movie is great but you ever wonder why jonny had more chemistry with drac than he did with mavis
CursedTails (3.5★) · 5705 likes
⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢀⣤⣤⣄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⣴⣤⣤⣤⣴⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⡄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠠⠾⢿⣿⣿⠟⠋⠁⠤⣬⣽⣿⡇⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⡄⠄⠄⢀⣽⣦⡎⠁⠒⠒⢻⣿⣿⣄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢀⣧⡀⢀⣾⣿⣿⣧⣦⣴⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠄⠄⣠⣴⣆⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⡻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⢸⣿⣿⣿⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠘⠿⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣝⣿⡟⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠸⣄⢺⣿⠿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢿⠄⡀⠄⣸⣿⡿⣻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠸⡆⠄⣀⣛⣫⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠇⠄⣿⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠐⠄⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠃⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠈⠿⠽⠿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢸⣿⣿⣿⡿⠟⠛⠉⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ Haha Jonathan you are banging my daughter
James (Schaffrillas) (2.5★) · 2346 likes
Crazy how unrecognizable Sandler's voice is here. Like even in Uncut Gems he sounds like himself, but here he just goes full Drac dude
dani✨ (5★) · 2141 likes
SO LISTEN ALL YOU ZINGERS FROM HERE TO BEIJING YOU BETTER CRASH THE BOX SPRING GET READY TO CLING CAUSE IF LOVE WAS MONEY YOU'D BE YELLING CHA-CHING NEXT TO A ZING CUPID'S ARROW'S A LITTLE BEE STING IT WAS A ZING AND A ZANG AND A ZINGIDY DEE AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE LADY IN THE ZING FOR ME CAUSE WHEN YOU'RE DINGED BY THE ZING YOU BETTER KNOW ONE THING THE ONLY BLING YOU GONNA SLING IS A WEDDING RING
2009 · Animation, Comedy, Family · 1h 30m · PG · Where to watch: Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus
Shares the same kind of elastic, gag-heavy animation and upbeat family-comedy rhythm.
Themes
overprotective parent-child relationship, monsters as misunderstood outsiders, forbidden romance, found family, coming-of-age, acceptance and prejudice, gothic comedy, hotel as a comic pressure-cooker