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Black Hawk Down

Black Hawk Down

Leave no man behind.

2001144 minRMidcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Director
Ridley Scott
Starring
Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana

When U.S. Rangers and an elite Delta Force team attempt to kidnap two underlings of a Somali warlord, their Black Hawk helicopters are shot down, and the Americans suffer heavy casualties, facing intense fighting from the militia on the ground.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Black Hawk Down?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Black Hawk Down streaming on Apple TV and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Black Hawk Down?

Black Hawk Down earns 15 badges, led by Stood the test of time and Oscar Winner.

Show 7 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Black Hawk Down worth watching?

Black Hawk Down's Midcredits score is the 96th percentile of all films, from 781K ratings across 6 sources. 86% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

96th percentile

Better received than 96% of films

98th percentile among Action96th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)93rd
Approval (how many liked it)96th

76 /100

93rd percentile of all films

97th percentile among Action93rd percentile among 2000s

Critics 74 · Audience 76

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

86% liked it

96th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Action95th percentile among 2000s
86% rated it 7–1014% rated it 1–6

Critics 77% · Audience 88%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

2 Oscars won · 2 Oscar noms · 9 wins / 35 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Film Editing
  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Sound

99th percentile

781K ratings across platforms

98th percentile among Action98th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 33% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$92M
Opening weekend$180K
Domestic gross$109M
Worldwide gross$173M

Returned 1.9× its budget — 90th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Technically virtuosic war-movie spectacle that sacrifices emotional depth for immersive realism.

Fans praised

  • visceral immersion in battle chaos and horror
  • technical craftsmanship in editing, cinematography, sound design
  • refusal to romanticize war via star turns or conventional heroics

Detractors panned

  • paper-thin character development and indistinguishable soldiers
  • one-sided American perspective that dehumanizes Somalis
  • grinding nonstop action that becomes numbing and hollow

What stands out

Cinematography95

outstanding visual craft with gritty orange hues and claustrophobic close-ups

AtmosphereDivisive95

relentless immersion in Mogadishu's chaos and desperation

Effects and spectacle90

practical explosions, helicopter crashes, and swarming militia feel authentic

Sound and music90

Hans Zimmer's score and immersive sound design heighten tension

TensionDivisive85

sustained dread and urgency throughout prolonged combat

PacingDivisive55

relentless two-hour firefight; exhilarating to fans, exhausting to detractors

Plot and story30

simplistic mission-turned-disaster structure with minimal political context

CharactersDivisive20

deliberately flattened to emphasize unit over individuals, but criticized as indistinguishable

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 11 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Black Hawk Down like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Harrowing: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you are ready for a hard story that does not look away.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you devastated. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Harrowing.

Moods
TenseThrillingMelancholic
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Brutal · 7% of filmsSolemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Multiple perspectives · 2% of films: The same events retold from different characters' points of view.
ToneRidley Scott presents the battle with unflinching realism and solemn gravity, treating the soldiers' ordeal as a grim, anti-war statement that never undercuts its own material.
The rideThe film maintains a near-constant level of combat tension with brief respites, and the heaviest emotional toll is distributed across the entire running time.
StructureThe film follows a conventional chronological structure but cuts between multiple groups of soldiers simultaneously, showing the battle from different positions.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Devastated.

The answer rests on this: Devastating · 3% of filmsHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves the viewer drained and devastated by the relentless combat, with the memory of the soldiers' sacrifice lingering long after.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Voyage
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4% (this title): Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% (this title) · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Voyage and return: Into a strange world and back again, changed. · Survival ordeal: Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).

4% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeA US special forces mission to capture Somali warlord lieutenants goes disastrously wrong when Black Hawk helicopters are shot down, stranding the soldiers in hostile territory where they must survive and fight their way to rescue.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfWarSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% (this title) · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% (this title) · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

War · 1% of filmsSurvivalDuty · 2% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film focuses on the chaos and brutal reality of modern urban combat, capturing the soldiers' fight for survival under overwhelming odds.
StanceThe film presents the horrors of war with a documentary-like neutrality, neither celebrating nor condemning the mission, but focusing on the soldiers' immediate experience.

The world

Late 20th centuryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Hans Zimmer
SettingMogadishu, Somalia, October 1993, during the Battle of Mogadishu
MusicZimmer's score blends percussive, mournful themes with electronic textures, heightening the tension and sense of dread.

Content guide

Is Black Hawk Down okay for kids?

R

Black Hawk Down is rated R: “Rated R for intense, realistic, graphic war violence, and for language” (MPAA). As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (95/100), sexual content at minimal (14/100), language at intense (78/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (31/100) and frightening material at severe (90/100). Overall it is heavier than 86% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 29 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland15
  • New ZealandR16
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • Belgium18
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Greece15
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • PhilippinesPG
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/16
  • RO18
  • Russia16+
  • SingaporeNC16
  • SK15
  • Spain12
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 91% of all filmsHeavier than 86% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 95%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 8%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 69%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 20%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 94%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence, frightening material, and language. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Black Hawk Down have?

MovieCove's classifier found 3 depicted content warnings in Black Hawk Down: Gore or body horror (severe), Gun violence (severe), plus 1 withheld here because it would spoil the plot. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereGore or body horrorGun violence

Cast and crew

Who is in Black Hawk Down?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Josh Hartnett
as Eversmann
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ewan McGregor
as Grimes
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Tom Sizemore
as McKnight
Eric Bana
as Hoot
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
William Fichtner
as Sanderson
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Ewen Bremner
as Nelson
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Sam Shepard
as Garrison
Gabriel Casseus
as Kurth
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Kim Coates
as Wex
Hugh Dancy
as Schmid
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Black Hawk Down?

Movies like Black Hawk Down include Fortress of War (2010), Blizzard of Souls (2019) and The Eight Hundred (2020). Of the 12 closest matches, all are military films, and several are films told from several perspectives.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 12 share its world: war epic. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Black Hawk Down?

813 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: war epic. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.