Hunter Killer

"Courage runs deep."

2018 2h 1m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 2,499

ActionThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Untested American submarine commander, Capt. Joe Glass of the USS Arkansas, is on the hunt for a U.S. sub in distress in the Arctic Ocean. He soon learns a secret Russian coup is in the offing, a conspiracy that threatens to dismantle the world order. With crew and country on the line, Glass must coordinate with an elite group of Navy SEALs to sneak through enemy waters, rescue the kidnapped Russian president, and hopefully prevent World War III.

“Courage runs deep.”

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Cast

Gerard Butler
Captain Joe Glass
Gary Oldman
CJCS Charles Donnegan
Toby Stephens
Bill Beaman
Common
RA John Fisk
Linda Cardellini
Jane Norquist
David Gyasi
Cob Wallach
Gabriel Chavarria
Jimenez
Ryan McPartlin
Matt Johnstone

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Donovan Marsh
Writers: Jamie Moss, Arne Schmidt, Yasen Denev
Languages: English, Russian
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 79% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 8 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Russian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CAST

Did you know

387+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Donovan Marsh, shot by Tom Marais. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Trevor Morris. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Michael J. Duthie shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman and Toby Stephens carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Donovan Marsh directs. Tom Marais behind the camera. Trevor Morris scores. Michael J. Duthie cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Russian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 79% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 8 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Russian.
4387+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
5Directed by Donovan Marsh, shot by Tom Marais. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Trevor Morris. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Michael J. Duthie shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman and Toby Stephens carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Courage runs deep.".
10IMDB entry: tt1846589 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 19 themes, including "washington dc, usa", "based on novel or book", "coup d'etat", "covert operation".

The technical file

Cinematography: Tom Marais
Original score: Trevor Morris
Editing: Michael J. Duthie
Production design: Jon Henson
Costume design: Caroline Harris
Makeup / hair: Nelly Teova
VFX supervisor: Stanislav Dragiev
Sound: Jason Chiodo
Stunt coordinator: Dian Hristov
Runtime: 121 min · 2h 1m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $40,000,000
Box office: $31,672,678
Return: 79% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Hunter Killer (2018)

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Donovan Marsh

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Community reviews

What people are saying

thecrustycurmudgeon2019-01-16
★ 5/10
So much potential, but still a disappointment If you have nothing else to do and need to fill some time, this is an okay respite. But, don't expect anything more than a standard military action movie with cliched dialogue, unreasonable scenarios, and mediocre acting. This movie could have been decent, if the producers and script-writers had only spent some time researching facts about how the military and special forces work IRL. Instead, they decided to throw reality to the wind and use fantasy & make-believe to create contrived conveniences to support a predictable storyline. I don't mind when a movie asks me to suspend belief a little. But, this one asks us to leave all rational thinking at the door. It's just interesting enough that you'll stay with it, mostly because you think it might get better. Sadly, it doesn't.
CinemaSerf2022-11-04
★ 5/10
So a megalomanic Russian admiral "Durov" (Michael Gor) concocts a plan to start a nuclear war with the Americans by kidnapping his own president "Zakarin" (Alexander Diachenko). His best laid plans had not, however, factored in the cunning of "Capt. Glass" (Gerard Butler) who commands the "USS Arkansas" and who begins to suspect that the clues he is being left are red herrings. When he discovers that a recent maritime disaster might not have been caused the way he is being told, he initiates a daring rescue mission and soon jeopardy is the name of the game... It's not a bad action adventure story, this - but the acting is pretty diabolical. Butler really struggles to sustain whatever accent he is trying to deliver and Gary Oldman is just completely mis-cast as his Joint Chief boss "Donnegan" whose character would hardly have been left in charge of a lawnmower, much less the military might of the United States. Therein lies the problem here - nothing of it pans out in anything like a plausible or menacing fashion. Had it been made seventy years earlier, it could have been brushed off as a piece of post-war propaganda, or sixty years ago as a piece of cold war cinema - but in 2018 it all just comes across as poorly written and delivered nonsense. There are a few fun underwater special effects but they are usually drowned out (no pun intended) by an overly enthusiastic score. Might have looked better on paper, but ultimately it's just another weak outing for Butler that nobody - including him - is likely to ever remember.
RalphRahal2025-02-08
★ 5/10
Hunter Killer jumps straight into action with little time for character development, which can be a hit or miss depending on what you’re looking for. The plot is straightforward but packed with tension, keeping the pace tight throughout. While it doesn’t dive deep into its characters, there are small moments like the archery scene that try to add some depth. The directing keeps things engaging, and the cinematography does a solid job of capturing the intensity of underwater warfare, though some CGI moments are not perfect. The acting is commendable, with Gerard Butler delivering a dependable performance, but nothing groundbreaking. The script holds the movie together, balancing the tactical aspects with the action-heavy sequences. The sound design and score work well to enhance the tension, adding to the overall thrill. It is not a film that reinvents the genre, but it knows what it is. An action-packed military thriller that delivers on suspense and spectacle. If you are in the mood for something that keeps the adrenaline going without overcomplicating things, Hunter Killer does the job.