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Split Second

Split Second

He's seen the future. Now he has to kill it.

199290 minRMidcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Director
Tony Maylam
Starring
Rutger Hauer, Kim Cattrall, Michael J. Pollard, Alastair Duncan

In a flooded future London, Detective Harley Stone hunts a serial killer who murdered his partner and has haunted him ever since — but he soon discovers what he is hunting might not be human.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Split Second?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Split Second streaming on Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Split Second?

Split Second earns 3 badges, led by Box Office Flop and Fun.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Split Second worth watching?

Split Second's Midcredits score is the 41st percentile of all films, from 36K ratings across 6 sources. 46% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

41st percentile

Better received than 41% of films

57th percentile among Action44th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)36th
Approval (how many liked it)46th

57 /100

36th percentile of all films

52nd percentile among Action38th percentile among 1990s

Critics 26 · Audience 60

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.3 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

46% liked it

46th percentile of all films

61st percentile among Action49th percentile among 1990s
46% rated it 7–1054% rated it 1–6

90th percentile

36K ratings across platforms

82nd percentile among Action85th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 10% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$7M
Opening weekend$2.3M
Domestic gross$5.4M
Worldwide gross$5.4M

Returned 0.8× its budget — 52nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps describe it as a cheap, scrappy B-movie monster cop thriller anchored by Hauer's presence — fans call it charming fun, detractors call it bargain-basement junk.

Fans praised

  • Rutger Hauer's charisma and committed performance as the grizzled detective
  • Driest black humor, much from Durkin's deadpan delivery
  • Flooded London 2008 world-building and gloomy atmosphere ooze style

Detractors panned

  • Monster looks shonky and cheap, eliciting chuckles not screams
  • Suspense drags and takes forever to build in the middle stretch
  • Low TV-movie production values with flat lighting and weak visual effects

What stands out

AtmosphereDivisive72

Flooded, night-shrouded future London is widely cited as evocative; some call it dreary

ActingDivisive68

Hauer's charisma carries the film; detractors say even he can't save weak writing

DialogueDivisive62

Dry one-liners and quotable lines like 'Where's my coffee?' win fans

HumorDivisive60

Driest kind of black humor lands for fans; detractors see it as unintentionally funny

CharactersDivisive58

Hauer's burnt-out Stone and partner banter add depth; others call them thin clichés

TensionDivisive52

Some suspenseful set pieces, but pacing drags and suspense often takes forever

Plot and storyDivisive45

Unoriginal cop-vs-creature mystery; fans tolerate, detractors call it repugnant

Effects and spectacleDivisive30

Cheap monster and effects widely derided; occasional good visual gag

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 14 points higher than US viewers.

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

  • Women vs men 4 points apart
  • Critics vs users 5 points apart

Watch experience

What is Split Second like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want to be scared.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you entertained.

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

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDread
Heaviest: throughout
Dark humor
Register
Satirical · 5% of filmsMelodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its grungy, post-apocalyptic premise and over-the-top monster straight, but leavens it with dry, self-aware humour that keeps it from taking itself too seriously.
The rideThe film maintains a constant pressure of dread and tension, punctuated by violent outbursts.
StructureThe story follows a conventional three-act structure: the crime spree reopens, the investigation deepens, and the final confrontation unfolds in the creature's lair.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

FunHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe viewer leaves entertained by the B-movie action and dry humour, but the grimy, flooded city and lingering suggestion of more monsters leave an eerie impression.
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).MonsterPredator
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

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA burnt-out detective and his rookie partner hunt a supernatural serial killer that preys on humans, with the hunter's personal vendetta blurring the line between the two.

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 filmsSelfObsession
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3% (this title)
  • 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%: Survival 17% · 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% (this title) · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Obsession · 3% of filmsFate · 1% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Dual lead
How it treats its themeStone's psychic link and his obsession with the killer drive both the investigation and the thematic core.
StanceThe film examines obsession and the cost of vengeance without offering a clear moral judgment.

The world

Near futureUrbanIn transitScience fiction
ElectronicRockForeground music · original score · Stephen W. Parsons
SettingFlooded, dystopian near-future London, with the monstrous killer lurking in the abandoned subway tunnels.
MusicA pounding, synth-heavy score that amplifies the urban dread and action.

Content guide

Is Split Second okay for kids?

R

Split Second is rated R: “Rated R for gore and language” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (88/100), sexual content at moderate (47/100), language at intense (65/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (47/100) and frightening material at moderate (60/100). Overall it is heavier than 59% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 9 other countries
  • UK18
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • South Korea19
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Hungary16
  • Sweden15
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 76% of all filmsHeavier than 59% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 79%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 47%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 46%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 62%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 44%

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

The reason to think twice is violence 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 Split Second have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Split Second?

Cast

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

Rutger Hauer
as Harley Stone
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.
Kim Cattrall
as Michelle McLaine
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Michael J. Pollard
as The Rat Catcher
Alastair Duncan
as Det. Dick Durkin
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Alun Armstrong
as Thrasher
Pete Postlethwaite
as Paulsen
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ian Dury
as Jay Jay
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Roberta Eaton
as Robin
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Tony Steedman
as Pat O'Donnell
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Steven Hartley
as Foster McLaine
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Split Second?

Movies like Split Second include Blade Runner (1982), Johnny Mnemonic (1995) and Strange Days (1995). All three are dystopian films; two are neo-noirs.

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

All 3 share its world: cyberpunk. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Split Second?

1.3K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: neo-noir. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.