Black Hawk Down

77%

Tomatometer

175 Reviews

88%

Audience Score

250,000+ Ratings

The film takes place in 1993 when the U.S. sent special forces into Somalia to destabilize the government and bring food and humanitarian aid to the starving population. Using Black Hawk helicopters to lower the soldiers onto the ground, an unexpected attack by Somalian forces brings two of the helicopters down immediately. From there, the U.S. soldiers must struggle to regain their balance while enduring heavy gunfire.

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Black Hawk Down

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Though it's light on character development and cultural empathy, Black Hawk Down is a visceral, pulse-pounding portrait of war, elevated by Ridley Scott's superb technical skill.

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Critics Reviews

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Lisa Alspector

Chicago Reader

I also don't know how well this 2001 drama represents the events of October 3 and 4, 1993, though I can see that it represents them in a realist vein, referring to other war movies without becoming frivolous.

Nov 8, 2011

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Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

Black Hawk Down makes that point without preachment, in precise and pitiless imagery. And for that reason alone it takes its place on the very short list of the unforgettable movies about war and its ineradicable and immeasurable costs.

Nov 8, 2011

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Todd McCarthy

Variety

A relentless immersion in combat strikingly realized but none too pleasurable to sit through.

Jan 2, 2009

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

For the most part, the unflagging sound and fury make it impossible to identify with these characters as individuals, since their primary function seems to be to serve as anonymous slabs of American fortitude.

Rated: 2/4

Nov 12, 2023

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

“Black Hawk Down” is an intense, visceral experience. It's gritty action one minute and deeply moving the next. But it never loses sight of its main focus – the soldiers.

Rated: 5/5

Aug 19, 2022

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Jim Rohner

Battleship Pretension

...arguably the best performance of Josh Hartnett's career...

Apr 14, 2021

Full Review

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Audience Reviews

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Matt S This is my favorite movie of all time. It’s fairly accurate to the real life event, consists of amazing action that has held up over the past couple decades. The most underrated quality of this movie is the sound and music, it really pulls the cinematography together, outstanding movie! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/10/24 Full Review Dan R A great movie, plenty of action packed scenes, very realistic, your typical war film with a little sprinkle of emotion. Worth a watch. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/08/24 Full Review Dionisis T Quite emotionally powerful as a film, quite boring and certainly with an amazing soundtrack Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/18/24 Full Review K K By far my all-time favorite modern war movie. Instead of portraying US soldiers as an invincible force bringing peace with manifest destiny like many Hollywood blockbusters do, this movie presents the volatility and brutality of ground combat in detail. One thing though, when I first watched this movie, I automatically saw the whole situation from the lens of protagonists and unconsciously rooted for them over menacing local residents. Now think of it, those unkempt and intimidating "ragtags" likely viewed US soldiers as invaders. The contrast of US soldiers leisurely barbecuing in their barracks at the beginning of this movie and the sight of malnourished local child soldiers in cramped huts is ... striking. It really depends on where you stand. Great movie nevertheless. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/06/24 Full Review Max W what a loaded cast. Great action scenes. Had you hooked till the last minute Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/02/24 Full Review Scarface The best war movie ever created. And no it's not Saving Private Ryan. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/21/24 Full Review Read all reviews

Black Hawk Down

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Cast & Crew

Ridley Scott Director Josh Hartnett Eversmann Ewan McGregor Grimes Tom Sizemore McKnight Eric Bana Hoot William Fichtner Sanderson

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Black Hawk Down

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Movie Info

Synopsis The film takes place in 1993 when the U.S. sent special forces into Somalia to destabilize the government and bring food and humanitarian aid to the starving population. Using Black Hawk helicopters to lower the soldiers onto the ground, an unexpected attack by Somalian forces brings two of the helicopters down immediately. From there, the U.S. soldiers must struggle to regain their balance while enduring heavy gunfire.

Director: Ridley Scott
Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer, Ridley Scott
Screenwriter: Mark Bowden, Ken Nolan
Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Video, Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Tristar, Cascade Film, Svensk Filmindustri (SF) AB, Revolution Studios
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Revolution Studios, Scott Free Productions
Rating: R (Intense Realistic War Violence|Intense Graphic War Violence|Language)
Genre: War, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 18, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $108.6M
Runtime: 2h 24m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)