

2002·Drama·2h 18m
6.9
★

















When Russia's first nuclear submarine malfunctions on its maiden voyage, the crew must race to save the ship and prevent a nuclear disaster.
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
submarine
cold war
soviet union
based on true story
north atlantic
nuclear
woman director
1960s
nuclear submarine

Trailer

IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch



Cast

Harrison Ford
Alexei Vostrikov

Liam Neeson
Mikhail Polenin

Peter Sarsgaard
Vadim Radtchinko

Joss Ackland
Marshal Zelentsov

John Shrapnel
Admiral Bratyeev

Donald Sumpter
Dr. Savran

Tim Woodward
Partonov

Steve Nicolson
Demichev

George Anton
Konstantin

James Francis Ginty
Anatoly

Lex Shrapnel
Kornilov

Ingvar E. Sigurðsson
Gorelov
Crew

Kathryn Bigelow
Director

Christopher Kyle
Screenplay

Klaus Badelt
Original Music Composer

Walter Murch
Editor

Jeff Cronenweth
Director of Photography

Kathryn Bigelow
Producer

Harrison Ford
Executive Producer

Nigel Sinclair
Executive Producer

Steven-Charles Jaffe
Co-Producer

Basil Iwanyk
Co-Producer

Sigurjón Sighvatsson
Producer

Louis Nowra
Screenstory
Popular Reviews
81 reviews
William Shatner 2.0
7.0★ · 05/13/26

It’s your average Cold War thriller, carried by Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson. For their performances alone, this film gets another half-star.
It’s your average Cold War thriller, carried by Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson. For their performances alone, this film gets another half-star.
Dustin Franklin
5.0★ · 01/19/26

I’m a big fan of Kathryn Bigelow, but this movie frustrated me so much. Almost all of the positives are negated by the inconsistent, inaccurate, and sometimes nonexistent accents, and I just couldn’t get past it. But, this is a crazy story and Bigelow’s direction drove home the claustrophobic and tense nature of the submarine.
I’m a big fan of Kathryn Bigelow, but this movie frustrated me so much. Almost all of the positives are negated by the inconsistent, inaccurate, and sometimes nonexistent accents, and I just couldn’t get past it. But, this is a crazy story and Bigelow’s direction drove home the claustrophobic and tense nature of the submarine.
Alfred HitchTOK
6.0★ · 09/28/25

A powerful woman directing a sub...now this is the kind of thing I can get on board with!
Oh. subMARINE. right.
boy did I get the wrong end of the whip...uh...stick.
Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson are dueling but respectful (sort of) captains of a Russian nuclear sub in the 60s, which has a major meltdown resulting in a possible Hiroshima x 10 level event. The crew bust their ass to solve the problem, but tension between gruff Ford, understanding (but probably also a little too soft) Neeson and group of tense, sweaty, paranoid and irradiated seamen (heh) is careening toward a messy end.
It's got all the claustrophobia of your S-Tier sub movies like Das Boot and Hunt for Red October, plus Harrison Ford giving a minimalist Ruskie accent. Based on a true story, but as is often the case, some liberties were taken with the facts, from a story by Straya's own Louis Nowra!
This is an interesting, but overlong, exploration of the era of cold war tension, where owning nukes was the game, but those owning them don't necessarily have the capability (or ethics) to be worthy of ownership (and really what country is worthy of owning such horrific death dealing tools? none in my book). It's tense at parts, infuriating in regard to the treatment of the naval officers and also pretty depressing. Not such a fun time to be had which reflected in it's poor box office performance on release.
Oh. subMARINE. right.
boy did I get the wrong end of the whip...uh...stick.
Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson are dueling but respectful (sort of) captains of a Russian nuclear sub in the 60s, which has a major meltdown resulting in a possible Hiroshima x 10 level event. The crew bust their ass to solve the problem, but tension between gruff Ford, understanding (but probably also a little too soft) Neeson and group of tense, sweaty, paranoid and irradiated seamen (heh) is careening toward a messy end.
It's got all the claustrophobia of your S-Tier sub movies like Das Boot and Hunt for Red October, plus Harrison Ford giving a minimalist Ruskie accent. Based on a true story, but as is often the case, some liberties were taken with the facts, from a story by Straya's own Louis Nowra!
This is an interesting, but overlong, exploration of the era of cold war tension, where owning nukes was the game, but those owning them don't necessarily have the capability (or ethics) to be worthy of ownership (and really what country is worthy of owning such horrific death dealing tools? none in my book). It's tense at parts, infuriating in regard to the treatment of the naval officers and also pretty depressing. Not such a fun time to be had which reflected in it's poor box office performance on release.
A powerful woman directing a sub...now this is the kind of thing I can get on board with!
Oh. subMARINE. right.
boy did I get the wrong end of the whip...uh...stick.
Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson are dueling but respectful (sort of) captains of a Russian nuclear sub in the 60s, which has a major meltdown resulting in a possible Hiroshima x 10 level event. The crew bust their ass to solve the problem, but tension between gruff Ford, understanding (but probably also a little too soft) Neeson and group of tense, sweaty, paranoid and irradiated seamen (heh) is careening toward a messy end.
It's got all the claustrophobia of your S-Tier sub movies like Das Boot and Hunt for Red October, plus Harrison Ford giving a minimalist Ruskie accent. Based on a true story, but as is often the case, some liberties were taken with the facts, from a story by Straya's own Louis Nowra!
This is an interesting, but overlong, exploration of the era of cold war tension, where owning nukes was the game, but those owning them don't necessarily have the capability (or ethics) to be worthy of ownership (and really what country is worthy of owning such horrific death dealing tools? none in my book). It's tense at parts, infuriating in regard to the treatment of the naval officers and also pretty depressing. Not such a fun time to be had which reflected in it's poor box office performance on release.
Oh. subMARINE. right.
boy did I get the wrong end of the whip...uh...stick.
Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson are dueling but respectful (sort of) captains of a Russian nuclear sub in the 60s, which has a major meltdown resulting in a possible Hiroshima x 10 level event. The crew bust their ass to solve the problem, but tension between gruff Ford, understanding (but probably also a little too soft) Neeson and group of tense, sweaty, paranoid and irradiated seamen (heh) is careening toward a messy end.
It's got all the claustrophobia of your S-Tier sub movies like Das Boot and Hunt for Red October, plus Harrison Ford giving a minimalist Ruskie accent. Based on a true story, but as is often the case, some liberties were taken with the facts, from a story by Straya's own Louis Nowra!
This is an interesting, but overlong, exploration of the era of cold war tension, where owning nukes was the game, but those owning them don't necessarily have the capability (or ethics) to be worthy of ownership (and really what country is worthy of owning such horrific death dealing tools? none in my book). It's tense at parts, infuriating in regard to the treatment of the naval officers and also pretty depressing. Not such a fun time to be had which reflected in it's poor box office performance on release.
Sam Bam
8.0★ · 06/28/25

Diet Chernobyl
Diet Chernobyl
Merijn Dam
7.0★ · 06/10/25

Loved klaus badelt’s score, and Liam neeson’s character in the movie. The story was great but some scenes felt kind of unnecessary but great movie after all
Loved klaus badelt’s score, and Liam neeson’s character in the movie. The story was great but some scenes felt kind of unnecessary but great movie after all