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The Hurt Locker

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The Hurt Locker

R

Released Jul 31, 2009

2h 7m

War

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Action

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Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

287 Reviews

84%

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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

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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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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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

More enduring than your typical war movie, Bigelow has constructed a suspenseful and confident motion picture about addiction, filled with biting observations about why some go to war, and then why some stay.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 4, 2023

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Mark Johnson

Awards Daily

Evocative and unsettling, The Hurt Locker remains an outstanding and cautionary war drama.

Jun 14, 2023

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Fer S

It has got a few very well achieved suspense moments until you realize how uninteresting the plot is.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

04/22/25

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Grant H

Another movie I put off seeing for decade and I suppose it was worth the wait. Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie are fantastic in their roles bringing the messiness of Iraq in those years we were over there. Kathryn Bigelow is at her best with these type of movies, and the Oscar for Best Director on this front was well deserved!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/25

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Nick R

Incredible acting and excellent direction make 'The Hurt Locker' an absolute must-watch war film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/30/24

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Kauã M

An experience that takes light on a heavy topic, and yet leaves you on the edge of your seat agonizing and reflecting every second.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/17/24

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Jason K. C

It’s a movie that one can watch. I finished it. I probably will never watch it again or think about it again after posting this review.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/30/24

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Nicholas R

As a veteran of Iraq, I despise this film. What a load of rubbish.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/11/24

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

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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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