Southern Comfort

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Southern Comfort

R

1981

1h 46m

Action

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

78%

Tomatometer

23 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

During the Vietnam War, a squad of National Guardsmen -- including Hardin (Powers Boothe), a no-nonsense Texan; Reece (Fred Ward), a hunter; and Spencer (Keith Carradine), a sensible private -- take part in a military training exercise in the swamps of Louisiana. After attempting to steal several canoes and firing blanks at a Cajun, the group members find themselves being hunted by the locals. Scared and unfamiliar with the territory, the men must scramble to escape.

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Noel Murray

The Dissolve

Beyond its genre roots and its deeper meanings, Southern Comfort is a well-honed study of characters and setting.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 7, 2014

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

The strength of the movie is in its look, in its superb use of its locations, and in Hill's mastery of action sequences that could have been repetitive.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 23, 2004

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Michelle Kisner

The Movie Sleuth

Southern Comfort is about how a single weak link can bring down an entire operation and that even good people can be pressed to do terrible things when backed into a corner.

May 9, 2024

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Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

It’s a film which exemplifies Hill’s skills as an action director, with masterful cross-cutting to keep the tension at a fever pitch, slowly burning as the situation starts dire and somehow keeps getting worse.

Rated: 10/10

Sep 29, 2023

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Walter Hill stages some outstanding shoot-outs (as usual) and provides a compelling edge-of-your-seat coda.

Rated: A

Dec 1, 2022

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a slow-going endeavor that doesn’t, at the outset, contain too many elements worth wholeheartedly embracing or getting excited about...

Rated: 2/4

Jun 18, 2022

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Kris C. J

This film plays like an inverse version of John Boorman's DELIVERANCE, with the locals massed in revenge mode. Well-paced with engaging performances, once this film gets going it never lets up to the end. A real jewel of Walter Hill's career.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/15/25

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nick s

Good acting and pacing, but it didn't ultimately add up to much. The was a lot of dialogue and backstory, not a lot of plot. The characters were the mainstay of this production and they weren't particularly likeable.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/07/25

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Chrissy C

an action, thriller with a setting that felt alien. acting was incredible. a simple but creative concept that was carried by the writing and cinematography. the soundtrack was everything!!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/23/24

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Daniel W

This film is very good not quite a Vietnam film as it's set in the swamps of the usa but it has the same vibes with the environment the guy from blade runner plays an excellent villain in the film and makes you scared of your own people showing your enemies can look like you it's defo worth a watch.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/14/24

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matthias s

"Southern Comfort" is a Louisiana swamp adventure that had me hooked from the get-go. The atmosphere is thick with tension, making you feel the oppressive bayou humidity and the lurking danger around every corner. The suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat, with eerie moments that send shivers down your spine. However, the film's pacing can be a bit uneven, with moments of slow buildup that could have been trimmed down. The storyline isn't entirely unique, and I've seen similar survival tales executed more effectively. Nevertheless, the ensemble cast delivers impressive performances, adding depth to their characters and making us care about their fates. One standout aspect is the hauntingly beautiful music, which complements the setting perfectly. Despite its shortcomings, "Southern Comfort" manages to deliver a satisfying dose of suspense and atmospheric thrills, making it worth a watch for fans of the genre.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/15/23

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David W

Often compared to Deliverance, and rightfully so, Southern Comfort affords more respectability to the local antagonists. Overall it's an entertaining action film that adds suspense by never allowing you to fully see the person or persons chasing our story's not-so-innocent protagonists. I would watch this again.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/24/24

Full Review

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Walter Hill

Director

Keith Carradine

Spencer

Powers Boothe

Hardin

Fred Ward

Reece

Franklyn Seales

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Synopsis

During the Vietnam War, a squad of National Guardsmen -- including Hardin (Powers Boothe), a no-nonsense Texan; Reece (Fred Ward), a hunter; and Spencer (Keith Carradine), a sensible private -- take part in a military training exercise in the swamps of Louisiana. After attempting to steal several canoes and firing blanks at a Cajun, the group members find themselves being hunted by the locals. Scared and unfamiliar with the territory, the men must scramble to escape.

Director: Walter Hill
Producer: David Giler
Screenwriter: Walter Hill
Production Co: Cinema Group Ventures, Phoenix Films (II)
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 20, 2018
Runtime: 1h 46m

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