Black Hawk Down

Play trailer

2:25

Black Hawk Down

R

2002

2h 24m

War

Drama

Action

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

168 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

In 1993, the U.S. sends special forces into Somalia to destabilize the government and bring food and humanitarian aid to the starving population. Using Black Hawk helicopters to lower the soldiers onto the ground, an unexpected attack by Somalian forces brings two of the helicopters down immediately. From there, the U.S. soldiers must struggle to regain their balance while enduring heavy gunfire.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Though it's light on character development and cultural empathy, Black Hawk Down is a visceral, pulse-pounding portrait of war, elevated by Ridley Scott's superb technical skill.

Read Critics Reviews

Lisa Alspector

Chicago Reader

Nov 8, 2011

I also don't know how well this 2001 drama represents the events of October 3 and 4, 1993, though I can see that it represents them in a realist vein, referring to other war movies without becoming frivolous.

Go to Full Review

Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

Nov 8, 2011

Black Hawk Down makes that point without preachment, in precise and pitiless imagery. And for that reason alone it takes its place on the very short list of the unforgettable movies about war and its ineradicable and immeasurable costs.

Go to Full Review

Todd McCarthy

Variety

Jan 2, 2009

A relentless immersion in combat strikingly realized but none too pleasurable to sit through.

Go to Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 12, 2023

2/4

For the most part, the unflagging sound and fury make it impossible to identify with these characters as individuals, since their primary function seems to be to serve as anonymous slabs of American fortitude.

Go to Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Aug 19, 2022

5/5

“Black Hawk Down” is an intense, visceral experience. It's gritty action one minute and deeply moving the next. But it never loses sight of its main focus – the soldiers.

Go to Full Review

Jim Rohner

Battleship Pretension

Apr 14, 2021

...arguably the best performance of Josh Hartnett's career...

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Rob R

@2204Rob Oct 31, 2026

Intense and entertaining.

See more

Ali J

@z33.ali Oct 29, 2026

Great movie!

See more

Rian M

@SoloUtilitaRian Oct 18, 2026

Seen this in double figures by now, and it never loses its punch. If you want to give your surround sound setup a proper workout, this is the absolute holy grail. The audio design is so mental that you are literally ducking in your living room with bullets whizzing past your ears and choppers thumping overhead. Beyond the sheer sensory overload, it is a proper eye-opener. It gives you a glaring look at how the US wades into foreign conflicts bringing all their high-tech gear and an unlimited budget, only to get their backsides handed to them by blokes armed with old AKs and basic tactics. Brutal, immersive, and a proper masterpiece

See more

Robert P

@Superbad Oct 12, 2026

Black Hawk Down is a *4* star Movie!

See more

Antoni W

@Antonir Sep 3, 2026

Half a star bonus for extreme realism

See more

Rowan C

@RowanC3 Aug 27, 2026

Black Hawk Down is based on a real event that happened in Somalia back in 1993. This brutal event is showcased so well, and the corruption in Somalia was and still is insane. There were a lot of familiar actors in this movie, and all of them did such a great job playing their roles. This was supposed to be a 30-minute extraction for prisoners, but it turned into a 12-hour gunfight with thousands of Somali soldiers. For 75% of this movie, it was straight action, and watching those helicopters go down was insane. They showcased Michael Durant (Ron Eldard), who was captured by the Somalis for 11 days, but he was eventually let go. Over 1,000 Somalis died that day, and 19 brave Americans lost their lives in this battle. Somalia's leader was eventually killed, and Bill Clinton took the Americans out of there. It is now considered one of the most dangerous countries to go to, and this story was shocking to see for the first time. Overall, they did a fantastic job making this movie.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Ridley Scott

Director

Josh Hartnett

Eversmann

Ewan McGregor

Grimes

Tom Sizemore

McKnight

Eric Bana

Hoot

William Fichtner

Sanderson

Jarhead

60%

68%

Jarhead

Watchlist

Enemy at the Gates

53%

82%

Enemy at the Gates

Watchlist

Lebanon

90%

72%

Lebanon

Watchlist

The Road to Guantanamo

86%

82%

The Road to Guantanamo

Watchlist

Hart's War

59%

48%

Hart's War

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Black Hawk Down: Trailer 1

2:25

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

In 1993, the U.S. sends special forces into Somalia to destabilize the government and bring food and humanitarian aid to the starving population. Using Black Hawk helicopters to lower the soldiers onto the ground, an unexpected attack by Somalian forces brings two of the helicopters down immediately. From there, the U.S. soldiers must struggle to regain their balance while enduring heavy gunfire.

Director: Ridley Scott
Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer
Screenwriter: Mark Bowden, Ken Nolan
Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Video, Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Tristar, Cascade Film, Svensk Filmindustri (SF) AB, Revolution Studios
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation, Revolution Studios, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Scott Free Productions
Rating: R (Intense Realistic War Violence|Intense Graphic War Violence|Language)
Genre: War, Drama, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 18, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $108.6M
Runtime: 2h 24m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings