Black Hawk Down

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Black Hawk Down

R

2002

2h 24m

War

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

172 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

In 1993, the U.S. sends special forces into Somalia to destabilize the government and bring food and humanitarian aid to the starving population. Using Black Hawk helicopters to lower the soldiers onto the ground, an unexpected attack by Somalian forces brings two of the helicopters down immediately. From there, the U.S. soldiers must struggle to regain their balance while enduring heavy gunfire.

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Critics Consensus

Though it's light on character development and cultural empathy, Black Hawk Down is a visceral, pulse-pounding portrait of war, elevated by Ridley Scott's superb technical skill.

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Lisa Alspector

Chicago Reader

11/08/2011

I also don't know how well this 2001 drama represents the events of October 3 and 4, 1993, though I can see that it represents them in a realist vein, referring to other war movies without becoming frivolous.

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Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

11/08/2011

Black Hawk Down makes that point without preachment, in precise and pitiless imagery. And for that reason alone it takes its place on the very short list of the unforgettable movies about war and its ineradicable and immeasurable costs.

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Todd McCarthy

Variety

01/02/2009

A relentless immersion in combat strikingly realized but none too pleasurable to sit through.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

11/12/2023

2/4

For the most part, the unflagging sound and fury make it impossible to identify with these characters as individuals, since their primary function seems to be to serve as anonymous slabs of American fortitude.

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

08/19/2022

5/5

“Black Hawk Down” is an intense, visceral experience. It's gritty action one minute and deeply moving the next. But it never loses sight of its main focus – the soldiers.

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Jim Rohner

Battleship Pretension

04/14/2021

...arguably the best performance of Josh Hartnett's career...

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Andrew V

@Vasso 1d

Maybe not the greatest war movie/thriller/drama of all time but it hits all the right spots.

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Craig H

@DownWeGo Dec 31

Basically two hours of relentless war action, gotta hand it to Ridley Scott to direct as well as he does here, its tense, relentless and gritty and really good for about 90% of it. There's that many characters thought that I didnt feel any way about any of them

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Thomas D

@Thom1967 Dec 19

Probably the best war movie ever ! And it’s all a real life story, it’s based on the book of a journalist that interviewed all the characters. The story is a bit "simplified" otherwise we would have tons of characters, but it’s all true ! Most of the American and UK actors have a part in it. The images are mind-blowing and the music goes perfectly with them. A must see if you like war stories.

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Gregory S

Dec 11

It is a great movie about a an incident where 18 U.S. soldiers were killed, and 73 U.S. soldiers were wounded. It honors their heroism, sacrifice, and courage. The cast for this movie is a who’s who of everyone. I just watched it, and realized Tom Hardy was even in it.

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Jack F

@MovieFan111 Nov 19

Solid modern war movie. Good cast.

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Luke B

Sep 27

“Black Hawk Down” delivers phenomenal acting and tells a gripping story with brutal realism that makes it difficult to watch at times—but that raw honesty is what makes the film so powerful. Its unflinching portrayal of war captures both the chaos and the brotherhood found within it. Overall, it stands as a favorite and a true masterpiece. The meaningful message about what war really looks like is both enriching and transformative.

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Synopsis

In 1993, the U.S. sends special forces into Somalia to destabilize the government and bring food and humanitarian aid to the starving population. Using Black Hawk helicopters to lower the soldiers onto the ground, an unexpected attack by Somalian forces brings two of the helicopters down immediately. From there, the U.S. soldiers must struggle to regain their balance while enduring heavy gunfire.

Director: Ridley Scott
Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer
Screenwriter: Mark Bowden, Ken Nolan
Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Video, Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Tristar, Cascade Film, Svensk Filmindustri (SF) AB, Revolution Studios
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation, Revolution Studios, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Scott Free Productions
Rating: R (Intense Realistic War Violence|Intense Graphic War Violence|Language)
Genre: War, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 18, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $108.6M
Runtime: 2h 24m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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