Black Hawk Down

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2:25

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

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.

Nov 8, 2011

Full Review

Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

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.

Nov 8, 2011

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Todd McCarthy

Variety

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

Jan 2, 2009

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

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.

Rated: 2/4

Nov 12, 2023

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

“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.

Rated: 5/5

Aug 19, 2022

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Jim Rohner

Battleship Pretension

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

Apr 14, 2021

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Luke B

“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.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/27/25

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andras gaspar p

This movie is my favourite war movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/09/25

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István P

This movie is my favourite war movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/24/25

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Juan D

Increíble película! De mis favoritas desde la infancia hasta la actualidad, el reparto es muy bueno, el desarrollo de la historia muy bien manejado, tiene tomas increíbles y una musicalización excelente!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/03/25

Full Review

Catalina G

So many great actors! This was my first time watching it as an adult and it was still so exciting.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/01/25

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Ryan G

Wow, what an ensemble of talent delivering an outstanding performance not only on the horrors of modern conflict and it's relentless nature, but, it's emotional turbulence and catastrophic effects on the minds and souls of these young soldiers. The pace of the movie yoyos from energetic and fast to slow and expectant. Performance of the movie is without a doubt delivered by Eric Bana, a focussed elite warrior who breaks it down in the movie to simply "it's about the guy standing next to you that's all it is". Well written and fantastically delivered.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/31/25

Full Review

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Black Hawk Down: Trailer 1

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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, Ridley Scott
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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