Rebecca Sayce
Published November 22, 2025 10:00am
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The film has gained a cult following over the years (Picture: THA/Shutterstock)
A 90s comedy film, often hailed as one of the greatest ever made, is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Directed by the Coen Brothers, The Big Lebowski follows the story of Jeffrey ‘The Dude’ Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), a slacker and avid bowler who is assaulted as a result of mistaken identity.
He learned that a millionaire of the same name (David Huddleston) was the intended victim, and tracks him down for compensation after his prized rug has been soiled, but is instead offered a job.
The millionaire’s wife Bunny (Tara Reid) has been kidnapped, and he hires Lebowski to deliver a ransom, aided by his friends Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) and Donny (Steve Buscemi).
It received mixed reviews at the time of its release but has since become a cult classic, often being cited as one of the best comedy films of all time.
In 2014, The Big Lebowski was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being ‘culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.’
The Big Lebowski was directed by the Coen Brothers and followed a slacker on a quest for retribution (Picture: THA/Shutterstock)
It starred Jeff Bridges in the lead role of Jeffrey Lebowski alongside a star-studded cast (Picture: Gramercy/Everett/Shutterstock)
The film has gained a cult following over the decades (Picture: THA/Shutterstock)
It holds a 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics’ consensus reading: ‘The Big Lebowski’s shaggy dog story won’t satisfy everybody, but those who abide will be treated to a rambling succession of comic delights, with Jeff Bridges’ laconic performance really tying the movie together.
In their retrospective review, Filmspotting wrote: ’25 years later, the movie where every detail matters and doesn’t matter at all, is as hilarious as ever – and more poignant, man.’
Washington Post said: ‘With their inspired, absurdist taste for weird, peculiar Americana, the Coens have defined and mastered their own bizarre subgenre. No one does it like them and, it almost goes without saying, no one does it better.’
Many praised Bridges for his performance as The Dude, with the Detroit Free Press writing: ‘Bridges completely gets the Coens and what they are going for, or in this case, what they are avoiding. They may be the only filmmakers in the world who would consider hearing The Big Lebowski described as a waste of time as a compliment.’
Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph added: ‘At the center of all this is Bridges, an absolute standout if the term didn’t seem a little inappropriate to this slouching performance.’
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Last month, Bridges reprised his role as The Dude to issue a very important message to the world.
Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, sipping a white Russian, he began: ‘Hey, world. Yeah, the Dude here. Can we just all calm the f**k down? I mean, come on.
‘I’m talking about all the wars, the fighting, the cancelling. I mean, let’s just chill out, man. Come on, tone it down. You know? We’re at like a nine. We oughta be at zero, or zero and a half, at max. Right, Guillermo?’
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As Guillermo was revealed with his own cocktail and signature white cardigan, Bridges continued: ‘And yeah… ICE? Let’s get ICE off our streets and into our beverages. This aggression will not stand, right? So, let’s just abide, abide together. Yes, we can do this. Now, that’s just like my opinion.’
The actor previously said ‘of course’ he would be open to reprising his role for a sequel to The Big Lebowski, which has long been rumoured but not confirmed.
He stated that his co-star Julianne Moore would ‘often fantasise’ about the project coming to fruition, though he said it seemed unlikely the Coen Brothers would make the movie.
The Big Lebowski is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video
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