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The Grey

Play trailer Poster for The Grey R 2012 1h 56m Adventure Drama Action Mystery & Thriller Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
80% Tomatometer 208 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Following a grueling five-week shift at an Alaskan oil refinery, workers led by sharpshooter John Ottway are flying home for a much-needed vacation. A brutal storm causes their plane to crash in the frozen wilderness, and only eight men, including Ottway, survive. As they trek southward toward civilization and safety, Ottway and his companions must battle mortal injuries, the icy elements, and a pack of hungry wolves.
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The Grey

The Grey

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Critics Consensus

The Grey is an exciting tale of survival, populated with fleshed-out characters and a surprising philosophical agenda.

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Critics Reviews

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Wendy Ide The Times (UK) Feb 6, 2024
Joe Carnahan has crafted a bone-chilling and relentless journey into the void. Go to Full Review Wael Khairy RogerEbert.com Nov 6, 2023
"The Grey" explores man's most frightening questions...if there's an afterlife or if "dead is dead"...our fear of heights, flights, drowning or dying alone. Go to Full Review Laura Kern Film Comment Magazine Jun 20, 2013
In the case of The Grey, less would have decidedly been more. Go to Full Review Don Shanahan Every Movie Has a Lesson Oct 14, 2024
4/5
Liam Neeson, in his 50s, convincingly, and even poetically, takes himself to another place when playing these survival and revenge roles at his age. Go to Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Feb 23, 2023
3.5/4
An unforgivingly brutal, brilliantly acted, beautifully shot motion picture. Go to Full Review James Croot The Post NZ Mar 29, 2021
3.5/5
All this talk could have been dull, but Carnahan keeps it interesting via extensive use of intimate, close-up, almost claustrophobic shots. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jason B @RT86723460 17 hrs ago Good servival fillm very cool all round good See more Vin C @RT87136215 Sep 3, 2026 How did Liam land all alone when strapped to seats with not 1, but 2 seatbelts. Ridiculous. I also really dislike how it portrayed wolves, starting with the totally unnecessary killing of one in the opening scenes. See more R D @RT70608956 Aug 31, 2026 Ridiculous movie. Wolves don’t act the way they did in this movie. Ever. They are shy and afraid of humans. A pack will not hunt humans. I hoped thru the entire movie that the wolves would tear the asses out of the survivors. Even Liam, whom I really liked. Disgusting. Dogs kill more humans each year than wolves. Even as a fictitious thriller, this premise sucks. See more Ashequl I @Tofa13 Aug 17, 2026 Joe Carnahan’s The Grey (2011) is far more than a simple man-versus-nature thrill ride; it is a gripping, deeply emotional exploration of grief, mortality, and human resilience. Liam Neeson delivers a standout performance as Ottoway, a depressed sharpshooter who leads a group of plane crash survivors through the brutal Alaskan wilderness while hunted by a relentless wolf pack. The film excels at crafting raw, grounded tension and an oppressive, freezing atmosphere. While the pacing takes a slower, more contemplative approach that may test the patience of viewers expecting non-stop action, the deliberate character quietness gives the story immense emotional weight. Capped by a incredible final twist and poetic ending, it stands as a deeply memorable watch. See more Whit C @RT41116816 Jul 22, 2026 Immersive. Formulaic. Bleak. See more Emma C @lilBunny Jul 9, 2026 This movie was produced to evoke emotion, just when you start to get attached to a character they die in really gruesome ways. If Liam was not the main actor I don’t think this film would have done half as well. He really carried this movie until the end. See more Read all reviews
The Grey

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Cast & Crew

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Joe Carnahan

Director

Liam Neeson

Ottway

Frank Grillo

Diaz

Dermot Mulroney

Talget

Dallas Roberts

Henrick

Joe Anderson

Flannery

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The Grey

Liam Neeson as Ottway in "The Grey." A scene from "The Grey." Liam Neeson as Ottway in "The Grey." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Following a grueling five-week shift at an Alaskan oil refinery, workers led by sharpshooter John Ottway are flying home for a much-needed vacation. A brutal storm causes their plane to crash in the frozen wilderness, and only eight men, including Ottway, survive. As they trek southward toward civilization and safety, Ottway and his companions must battle mortal injuries, the icy elements, and a pack of hungry wolves.
Director
Joe Carnahan
Producer
Jules Daly, Ridley Scott, Mickey Liddell
Screenwriter
Ian Mackenzie Jeffers
Distributor
Entertainment Film Distributors Ltd.
Production Co
Scott Free Productions, LD Entertainment, Chambara Pictures
Rating
R (Pervasive Language|Bloody Images|Violence/Disturbing Images)
Genre
Adventure, Drama, Action, Mystery & Thriller, Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 27, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 4, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$51.5M
Runtime
1h 56m
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