Apocalypto

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Apocalypto

R

2006

2h 20m

Adventure

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

65%

Tomatometer

199 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

The Mayan kingdom is at the height of its opulence and power, but the foundations of the empire are beginning to crumble. The leaders believe they must build more temples and sacrifice more people or their crops and citizens will die. Jaguar Paw, a peaceful hunter in a remote tribe, is captured along with his entire village in a raid. He is scheduled for a ritual sacrifice until he makes a daring escape and tries to make it back to his pregnant wife and son.

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Critics Consensus

Apocalypto is a brilliantly filmed, if mercilessly bloody, examination of a once great civilization.

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David Edelstein

New York Magazine/Vulture

Jun 29, 2007

Apocalypto demonstrates two things: that Mel Gibson is a hell of a filmmaker and that his imaginative world borders on the Neanderthal.

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Empire Magazine

Jun 5, 2007

3/5

Apocalypto is a strange but largely entertaining mix of action, bloodletting, chin-rubbing and arthouse trimmings.

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Brian Tallerico

UGO

Mar 24, 2007

It's escapism - the world would be a lot safer if good and evil were so clearly defined - and it's something that Mel Gibson proves (once again) that he does very, very well in Apocalypto.

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James Croot

The Post NZ

May 5, 2023

4/5

A film for the passionate, brave of heart and strong of stomach.

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Jas Keimig

The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

Dec 8, 2021

It makes all of the violence and pain portrayed onscreen feel extra exploitative of indigenous people, history, and fact

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David Walsh

World Socialist Web Site

Feb 14, 2021

Gibson makes people nervous in part because he takes the obscene fascination with violence ... to such absurd heights that the entire phenomenon threatens to become visible and called into question.

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J H

@UpstateNYThriller 17 hrs ago

8/10 Historical Drama, Adventure, Mayan civilization Good movie about a Mayan tribe. Has Aztec and Mayan elements but explores the story of a conquered tribe right before the Spanish land. Mel Gibson directed.

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Robert P

@Superbad 6 days ago

Apocalypto = a *4* star Movie!

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B P

@Bradster69 Sep 12, 2026

Definitely Recommend It

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Darrel A

@RT75937207 Sep 8, 2026

The fact that this masterpiece only has 65 on rotten tomatoes shows the corruption and stupidity of Hollywood. Sad

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Joel H

@786Joel Aug 24, 2026

I completely forgot that Apocalypto existed until a friend mentioned it recently. I never watched this movie when it came out back in 2006 and I didn’t really know much about it before now. This is an impressive film. It’s an immersive experience both visually and audibly. And while, at the beginning, I was wondering if it was going to hold my interest, I was soon captivated by the story and caught up in the emotions. Mel Gibson created something special here, in regard to filmmaking, and took a lot of chances with the casting and the dialogue. I’m surprised that Apocalypto isn’t talked about more.

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Haunted K

@RT58769856 Aug 6, 2026

Master of direction. This is the movie that gave me nightmares because of those heads rolling form the temple, and I recently found out that the actors are not really actors, but real indigenous people.

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Synopsis

The Mayan kingdom is at the height of its opulence and power, but the foundations of the empire are beginning to crumble. The leaders believe they must build more temples and sacrifice more people or their crops and citizens will die. Jaguar Paw, a peaceful hunter in a remote tribe, is captured along with his entire village in a raid. He is scheduled for a ritual sacrifice until he makes a daring escape and tries to make it back to his pregnant wife and son.

Director: Mel Gibson
Producer: Mel Gibson, Bruce Davey
Screenwriter: Mel Gibson, Farhad Safinia
Distributor: Buena Vista
Production Co: Icon Entertainment International
Rating: R (Sequences of Graphic Violence|Disturbing Images)
Genre: Adventure, Action
Original Language: root
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 8, 2006, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 24, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA): $50.9M
Runtime: 2h 20m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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