The Hurt Locker

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The Hurt Locker

R

2009

2h 7m

War

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Action

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Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

288 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Staff Sgt. William James (Jeremy Renner), Sgt. J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) are members of a bomb-disposal unit in Baghdad. As their tour of duty enters its final weeks, the men face a set of increasingly hazardous situations, any of which could end their lives in an explosive instant.

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Critics Consensus

A well-acted, intensely shot, action filled war epic, Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker is thus far the best of the recent dramatizations of the Iraq War.

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Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

... An unflinching look at the personal cost of being really good at a really tough job.

Sep 30, 2022

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Ed Koch

The Atlantic

The Hurt Locker is without a doubt one of the best war pictures I have ever seen, and I have seen most of them.

Jan 17, 2018

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

I probably should have seen this movie when I had the chance in theaters, but as a DVD it didn't live up to the hype, though it was well done.

Rated: B+

Sep 12, 2017

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Every actor gave their best, and while some of the sequences are effective, the overall message undercut some of the concepts it was trying to get across.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 11, 2025

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Josh Parham

Next Best Picture

It crafts a mesmerizing display that manifests intense suspense sequences while building an intimate space for these characters to interact and explore their feelings in this constrictive arena.

Rated: 8/10

Aug 22, 2025

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Noah Berlatsky

Splice Today

War movies like The Hurt Locker show us that Americans are the nuanced protagonists of our own stories, even if those stories occur on other people’s land, in other people’s homes, with other people as the main casualties.

May 29, 2024

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Glory M

Oh my pure innocent middle eastern people. The more I watch these lovely movies, the more I understand how beautiful and peaceful these "people' are. Lovely people. We should bring all of them in our country.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/09/25

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alex S.

"The Hurt Locker" is seriously one of the better war movies I've seen. Jeremy Renner's acting is solid—he plays this bomb guy who's totally hooked on the danger, and it's gripping to watch. The plot is fantastic because it's not some huge battle epic; it's just one terrifying bomb mission after another, which makes it feel real and incredibly tense. It's a really good movie, period. It just misses that perfect 5-star mark because the supporting guys could've had a bit more to do. Still, absolutely a must-watch. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/03/25

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thiago s

Filme bacaninha, o roteiro é mais ou menos, as cenas são bacaninhas, a história é bacaninha, o elenco é mais ou menos, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são mais ou menos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

09/02/25

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Denis D

I have no idea how or why Kathryn Bigelow got an Oscar for directing this movie; is one of the worst pieces of directing I have ever come across. In the hands of a decent director, a lot more could have been made of Mark Boal's screenplay, but this was a total disaster in my opinion. The jerky camerwork and ridiculous closeups was liable to have most people throwing up before the end of the film, due to its nausea inducing motion. The acting was very good, particularly that of Jeremy Renner, but the directing really did a great disservice to the actors. This film might be worth a remake in the hands of a skilled and artistic director. Very disappointed.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/23/25

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Jose C

Keeps you on your toes with the suspense. Definitely worth the watch.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/29/25

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HameZz O

Entertaining enough. There's definitely an intensity that is kept well. An intensity you can definitely feel even when you know what's going to happen.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/25/25

Full Review

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Kathryn Bigelow

Director

Jeremy Renner

Staff Sergeant William James

Anthony Mackie

Sergeant JT Sanborn

Brian Geraghty

Specialist Owen Eldridge

Guy Pearce

Sergeant Matt Thompson

Ralph Fiennes

Contractor Team Leader

The Hurt Locker: Official Clip - Not Enough Time

2:55

The Hurt Locker: Official Clip - Insurgent Sniper

4:21

The Hurt Locker: Official Clip - Stuff That Almost Killed Me

2:24

The Hurt Locker: Official Clip - Wild Man

2:00

The Hurt Locker: Official Clip - What Are We Shooting At?

3:16

The Hurt Locker: Official Clip - We're Done

2:48

The Hurt Locker: Official Clip - Got a Wire

2:19

The Hurt Locker: Official Clip - Die Comfortable

1:21

The Hurt Locker: Official Clip - You Wanna Back Up?

2:52

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Synopsis

Staff Sgt. William James (Jeremy Renner), Sgt. J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) are members of a bomb-disposal unit in Baghdad. As their tour of duty enters its final weeks, the men face a set of increasingly hazardous situations, any of which could end their lives in an explosive instant.

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Producer: Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier
Screenwriter: Mark Boal
Distributor: Summit Media
Production Co: Kingsgate Films, Voltage Pictures, First Light Production
Rating: R (War Violence|Language)
Genre: War, Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 31, 2009, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 24, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $15.7M
Runtime: 2h 7m

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