Crimson Tide

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Crimson Tide

R

1995

1h 55m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

55 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

After the Cold War, a breakaway Russian republic with nuclear warheads becomes a possible worldwide threat. U.S. submarine Capt. Frank Ramsey (Gene Hackman) signs on a relatively green but highly recommended Lt. Cmdr. Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington) to the USS Alabama, which may be the only ship able to stop a possible Armageddon. When Ramsay insists that the Alabama must act aggressively, Hunter, fearing they will start rather than stop a disaster, leads a potential mutiny to stop him.

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Critics Consensus

Boasting taut, high energy thrills and some cracking dialogue courtesy of an uncredited Quentin Tarantino, Crimson Tide finds director Tony Scott near the top of his action game.

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Duane Byrge

The Hollywood Reporter

05/12/2020

Simpson/Bruckheimer have plunged to the ocean's depths to reach the heights of commercial, big-movie filmmaking.

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Dolores Barclay

Associated Press

02/19/2020

Crimson Tide is a whale of a movie, an intense and a heartstopping adventure played out against the unnerving threat of nuclear annihilation.

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Variety Staff

Variety

03/26/2009

This is a boy's movie all the way.

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

12/30/2024

4.5/5

While this first (and still best) collaboration between Denzel Washington and late filmmaker Tony Scott remains a classic 1990s blockbuster, the tentative nature of the transformative path Washington’s character takes within it is often overlooked.

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Adrian Turner

Radio Times

02/02/2024

4/5

This is riveting stuff, an achievement that is even more remarkable in view of the movie's restricted setting - a submarine's claustrophobic confines.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

07/19/2023

3.5/4

...the picture’s compulsively watchable atmosphere is heightened by its emphasis on the fascinating nitty-gritty of submarine life and its surfeit of magnetic, charismatic performances...

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Nathan H

@RT73046344 2d

Interesting geopolitics against today's world. Come for the ensemble cast, stay for the surprisingly thoughtful dialog and presceint geopolitical scenario where a rogue superpower with hyper-polorization and civil war gets taken over by a radical war-hungry upstart who threatens to use nukes

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CJ D.

@CJD58 Mar 13

Good story and well done.

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Sebastian T

@Inliogegierr Mar 3

Honestly this is an amazing movie. The plot and execution of it was great, the characters and actors had amazing chemistry, the tension was extreme and the music was absolutely perfec, hans Zimmer is an absolute genius. If anyone thinks the music sounds familiar, it is the same music that plays in the trailer for Independance Day which i will review in the future.

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Watchable C

@watchablecinema Jan 10

I watched Crimson Tide knowing my two grandfathers served in the Royal Navy — one as a submariner — and suddenly all those terrifying, cramped, "we might all die in a metal tube" stories made sense. Denzel and Gene glare at each other so hard it’s basically a nuclear standoff in every scene. The tension is insane, moral stakes enormous, and the crew either whispers ominously or panics like someone just announced the coffee ran out. Washington’s impulsive hotshot and Hackman’s by-the-book captain argue constantly, making the submarine feel like a steel tube full of very stubborn dads. Some dialogue is heavy-handed, a few characters exist only to get yelled at, and certain scenes are melodramatic enough to make you roll your eyes — but that’s the point. Crimson Tide is tense, absurd, sarcastically funny, and thrilling. Watching it made me very glad I’m not actually underwater, gave me a newfound respect for sandwiches, and proved submarines are basically stress packaged in steel.

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Ulrich Jacov B

@Ulrich Dec 14

Leftist, liberale, woke propaganda

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zinger305 r

@RT10778587 Oct 26

Classic movie. Always a good watch. I highly recommend it.

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Tony Scott

Director

Denzel Washington

Lt. Cmdr. Ron Hunter, XO, USS Alabama

Gene Hackman

Capt. Frank Ramsey

George Dzundza

Chief of the boat (COB)

Viggo Mortensen

Lt. Peter 'Weps' Ince

James Gandolfini

Lt. Bobby Dougherty, Supply Officer, USS Alabama

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Synopsis

After the Cold War, a breakaway Russian republic with nuclear warheads becomes a possible worldwide threat. U.S. submarine Capt. Frank Ramsey (Gene Hackman) signs on a relatively green but highly recommended Lt. Cmdr. Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington) to the USS Alabama, which may be the only ship able to stop a possible Armageddon. When Ramsay insists that the Alabama must act aggressively, Hunter, fearing they will start rather than stop a disaster, leads a potential mutiny to stop him.

Director: Tony Scott
Producer: Don Simpson, Jerry Bruckheimer
Screenwriter: Richard P. Henrick, Michael Schiffer
Distributor: Image Entertainment Inc., Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Hollywood Pictures, Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 12, 1995, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $91.4M
Runtime: 1h 55m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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