K-19: The Widowmaker backdrop
K-19: The Widowmaker logo
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

Cast

Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Alexei Vostrikov
Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson
Mikhail Polenin
Peter Sarsgaard
Peter Sarsgaard
Vadim Radtchinko
Joss Ackland
Joss Ackland
Marshal Zelentsov
John Shrapnel
John Shrapnel
Admiral Bratyeev
Donald Sumpter
Donald Sumpter
Dr. Savran
Tim Woodward
Tim Woodward
Partonov
Steve Nicolson
Steve Nicolson
Demichev
George Anton
George Anton
Konstantin
James Francis Ginty
James Francis Ginty
Anatoly
Lex Shrapnel
Lex Shrapnel
Kornilov
Ingvar E. Sigurðsson
Ingvar E. Sigurðsson
Gorelov

Crew

Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Bigelow
Director
Christopher Kyle
Christopher Kyle
Screenplay
Klaus Badelt
Klaus Badelt
Original Music Composer
Walter Murch
Walter Murch
Editor
Jeff Cronenweth
Jeff Cronenweth
Director of Photography
Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Bigelow
Producer
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Executive Producer
Nigel Sinclair
Nigel Sinclair
Executive Producer
Steven-Charles Jaffe
Steven-Charles Jaffe
Co-Producer
Basil Iwanyk
Basil Iwanyk
Co-Producer
Sigurjón Sighvatsson
Sigurjón Sighvatsson
Producer
Louis Nowra
Louis Nowra
Screenstory

Popular Reviews

81 reviews
William Shatner 2.0
William Shatner 2.0
K-19: The Widowmaker
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.
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Dustin Franklin
Dustin Franklin
K-19: The Widowmaker
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.
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Alfred HitchTOK
Alfred HitchTOK
K-19: The Widowmaker
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.
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.
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Sam Bam
Sam Bam
K-19: The Widowmaker
Diet Chernobyl
Diet Chernobyl
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Merijn Dam
Merijn Dam
K-19: The Widowmaker
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
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