Watchmen

Play trailer

2:19

Watchmen

R

2009

2h 42m

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Mystery & Thriller

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

64%

Tomatometer

304 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

In an alternate 1985 America, costumed superheroes are part of everyday life. When one of his former comrades is murdered, masked vigilante Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) uncovers a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his retired associates, only one of which has true powers, Rorschach glimpses a far-reaching conspiracy involving their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the world's future.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Gritty and visually striking, Watchmen is a faithful adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel, but its complex narrative structure may make it difficult for it to appeal to viewers not already familiar with the source material.

Read Critics Reviews

Matthew Rozsa

Salon.com

Jul 23, 2019

3.5/4

When given a great story and told that his job is to simply adapt it, Snyder more than rises to the occasion.

Go to Full Review

Matt Singer

The Rumpus

Sep 18, 2017

The only way to truly adhere to Alan Moore's vision of Watchmen would be to not make the movie in the first place.

Go to Full Review

Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

Sep 12, 2017

B+

Watchmen isn't your typical caper flick filled with kickass effects and gunfire and no premise.

Go to Full Review

Kyle Logan

Cultured Vultures

Feb 16, 2026

The best superhero movie Snyder has made...Watchmen is an epic that feels worthy of its 3 hour director’s cut runtime largely because it has so much story to tell.

Go to Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Oct 28, 2023

The story of costumed superheroes into the real world offers a visual spectacle to be sure, but it emphasizes the “novel” in graphic novel: narrative complexity, character dynamism, the density of fiction and history and commentary swirling together.

Go to Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Sep 5, 2023

2.5/4

Ambitious films like this are generally either glorious artistic successes or utter failures; Watchmen uniquely falls somewhere in the middle.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Robert P

@Superbad 18 hrs ago

An Okay movie with a Surprise Ending...

See more

Keiver P

@RT90935157 5 days ago

Great movie. This is the type of story that Zack Snyder can adapt with his own vision, and it fits perfectly. The action was well done, the direction was great, and some parts were straight out of the comic book. Worth a watch

See more

O.B Fan Boy T

@RT21130566 6 days ago

I love Zach Snyder movies

See more

Michael M

@joseywales357 Sep 2, 2026

This was absolutely a great movie, visually incredible, unique directing skills and ability. I highly recommend for sci-fi fans and fans that are interested in comic books turning into a movie.

See more

Jasmine W

@jasniquejewels Aug 31, 2026

I was impressed by this live action adaptation probably my favorite film zack snyder ever directed.

See more

Leigh S

@Icedprism Aug 24, 2026

I am impressed, he did a great job on character choices. JDM played a great Comedian..

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Zack Snyder

Director

Billy Crudup

Jon Osterman

Malin Akerman

Laurie Jupiter

Jackie Earle Haley

Walter Kovacs

Matthew Goode

Adrian Veidt

Patrick Wilson

Dan Dreiberg

View more videos

Conan the Barbarian

25%

30%

Conan the Barbarian

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Conan the Barbarian

Immortals

50%

49%

Immortals

Watchlist

Logan

93%

91%

Logan

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Logan

Hellboy

17%

47%

Hellboy

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Hellboy

Zack Snyder's Justice League

71%

92%

Zack Snyder's Justice League

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Zack Snyder's Justice League

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The Best Superhero Movie of Each Year Since 1998

HBO’s Watchmen Episode 1 Explained: Squid Storms, Masked Police, and Rorschach’s Hijacked Legacy

How Watchmen Landed Oscar Winners Regina King and Jeremy Irons

Watchmen: Trailer 1

2:19

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

In an alternate 1985 America, costumed superheroes are part of everyday life. When one of his former comrades is murdered, masked vigilante Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) uncovers a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his retired associates, only one of which has true powers, Rorschach glimpses a far-reaching conspiracy involving their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the world's future.

Director: Zack Snyder
Producer: Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin, Deborah Snyder
Screenwriter: David Hayter, Alex Tse
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Lawrence Gordon Productions, Lloyd Levin
Rating: R (Nudity|Language|Sexuality|Strong Graphic Violence)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery & Thriller, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 6, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 31, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $107.5M
Runtime: 2h 42m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings