Going Overboard: The Adam Sandler Movie That He Wants Us To Forget Exists

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If you’ve never seen the movie Going Overboard, consider yourself lucky. Adam Sandler‘s obscure first film from 1989 has the dubious honor of being the comedy icon’s worst movie ever made. How did Sandler’s on-screen debut turn out so terribly? Grab your life vest, because we’re going overboard to find out.

What Is The Adam Sandler Movie Going Overboard About?

The film’s storyline centers around struggling comedian Schecky Moskowitz, played by Sandler, who lands a low-level gig on a cruise ship hosting the Miss Universe pageant. Shecky sees this as his big chance to break through to the exciting world of cruise ship comedy. (Yes, seriously.) As various villains and terrorists try storming the ship, Sandler’s character uses his superpower of bad stand-up comedy to… save everyone… somehow?

Even the most devoted Sandler fans will cringe at this snooze fest. The schlocky plot simply serves as an excuse for Sandler to demonstrate some painfully unfunny bits. And at a bloated runtime of 97 minutes, the pacing moves slower than the Titanic post-iceberg.

From Concept To Completion In 3 Months

So how did such a crappy movie ever get made? Funnily enough, Sandler landed the leading role just 10 days before filming started, without even seeing a script. He was simply a young comedian eager to make his first movie.

The film itself—from concept to completion—was churned out in just three months. This explains a lot. It was written in three days, cast in one day, prepared in two days, and filmed in six days, with two extra days for pick-ups. The budget was a mere $800,000.

Adam Sandler Wants Everyone To Pretend The Movie Going Overboard Doesn’t Exist

While Sandler has since reached megastardom, he remains rightfully embarrassed by Going Overboard and rarely acknowledges its existence. And the public seems to agree with Sandler’s assessment. In addition to a meager 1.8/10 IMDB rating, the movie currently holds the title for the worst 80s film, according to Letterboxd users. For nearly 100 minutes, anyone watching the movie will struggle to not jump overboard themselves.

Going Overboard makes even Sandler’s later Netflix flops look decent by comparison. At least those films maintain some semblance of a plot. Going Overboard instead stuffs talented actors like Billy Zane, Milton Berle, and Billy Bob Thornton into a lifeless script.

Where To Watch The Movie Going Overboard

So unless you enjoy cinematic torture, steer clear of Going Overboard. But if your curiosity gets the better of you, a(Amazon link) DVD of Going Overboard is only $10 on Amazon. Or you can watch it on YouTube (use the player above) or stream it free on Tubi. Just don’t expect that price tag to spare you from having watched one of the worst movies ever made.