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Code Red

TV movie2001100 minMidcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
Director
Ian Gilmour
Starring
Brian McNamara, Marjean Holden, Callan Mulvey, Brett Tucker

A psychologically disturbed solider is forced to come out of retirement to find his brother who has disappeared in the jungle but nothing can prepare him for the alien nightmare he is plunged into.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Code Red?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Code Red on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Code Red?

Code Red earns 2 badges, led by Universally Panned and Award Nominee.

  • Reception
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Code Red worth watching?

Code Red's Midcredits score is the 5th percentile of all films, from 586 ratings across 3 sources. 16% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

5th percentile

Better received than 5% of films

10th percentile among Action5th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)9th
Approval (how many liked it)4th

44 /100

9th percentile of all films

16th percentile among Action9th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

The crowd leans negative, with most ratings sitting in the bottom half of the scale.

16% liked it

4th percentile of all films

9th percentile among Action3rd percentile among 2000s
16% rated it 7–1084% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

42nd percentile

586 ratings across platforms

28th percentile among Action34th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 38% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A low-budget Predator knock-off with derivative elements from Aliens.

Fans praised

  • surprisingly original alien concept
  • entertaining action sequences with competent direction
  • decent B-movie production values for made-for-TV

Detractors panned

  • blatant Predator/Aliens rip-off with no originality
  • terrible acting and laughable dialogue
  • cheesy special effects and incoherent action editing

What stands out

AtmosphereDivisive40

jungle setting works but tension falls flat

Effects and spectacleDivisive30

cheesy CGI and puppets; decent for B-movie

PacingDivisive30

dull stretches with poorly edited action

Plot and storyDivisive25

unoriginal Predator copy with silly twists

TensionDivisive25

no suspense; derivative scares fail

ActingDivisive20

terrible, wooden performances; a few adequate turns

DialogueDivisive15

stupid, cliched lines; forced macho talk

OriginalityDivisive10

shameless scene-for-scene Predator ripoff

Watch experience

What is Code Red like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

No single mood: browse every movie of this kindNo one kind of watch fits it, so it is described by how heavy it is.

Watch this when you want something serious but easy to take.

It takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

Setting

  • Contemporary
  • Science fiction
  • Wilderness

Feelings

  • Tense
  • Thrilling

Themes

  • Survival
  • Family bonds

What it asks of you

  • Slow burn
  • Casual
  • Easy watch
  • Resolved

Style

  • Adventurous
  • Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.

Story

  • Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.

How it leaves you

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

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Heaviest: late
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its alien-invasion premise straight, attempting genuine suspense and drama, but the low-budget execution and derivative script make it unintentionally campy.
The rideThe film maintains a tense, predatory atmosphere in the jungle, with bursts of action and a climactic bomb-defusing sequence.
StructureThe story unfolds in a conventional beginning-middle-end order, following the squad mission and its aftermath.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

Why it leaves you this wayThe viewer is left with mixed emotions from the hero's survival and loss, though the overall quality may diminish the impact.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

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).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% (this title) · 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%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · 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%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

21% of films fit this archetype

with Quest underneath

Why this archetypeA soldier is forced out of retirement to rescue his brother from a jungle, but he and his squad are hunted by an alien creature, following the classic predator-hunting-its-prey pattern.

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 filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · 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% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · 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

SurvivalFamily bonds
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on a psychologically scarred soldier fighting for survival against an alien threat while seeking his missing brother.
StanceThe film focuses on Doyle's survival and his quest to find his brother, presenting the alien threat as a straightforward challenge.

The world

AmbientSupportive music · original score
Settingjungle with an alien presence
MusicThe soundtrack is noted for its eerie sound design, enhancing the alien threat.

Cast and crew

Who is in Code Red?

Cast

Brian McNamara
as Lt. James Doyle
Marjean Holden
as Lt. Joyce Darwin
Callan Mulvey
as Cage Sorrentino
Brett Tucker
Jeremy Callaghan
as Lt. Peter Doyle
Rene Naufahu
as Tyler
Steven Grives
as Gen. Pembroke
Steve Harman
Anthony Engelman
Frederick Miragliotta

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Code Red?

Movies like Code Red include 65 (2023) and Godzilla 2000 (1999), both creature features.

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

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What else shares a premise, people or place with Code Red?

773 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: alien. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.