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Basic

Basic

Deception is their most dangerous weapon.

200398 minRMidcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Director
John McTiernan
Starring
John Travolta, Connie Nielsen, Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Daly

When a hurricane hits a US Army base on the edge of the Panama Canal, an elite covert operations team of US Army Rangers recruits are on a routine jungle training exercise that goes horribly awry. Only two recruits are rescued, one of which is badly injured, but both have different accounts regarding the fate of their leader, legendary and ruthless Army Ranger Drill Sergeant Nathan West, and the rest of their platoon. Tom Hardy, an ex-army Ranger turned maverick DEA agent is brought in to solve the mystery and uncover what really happened out there.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Basic?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Basic streaming on Sony Pictures Core via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Subscription

via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Basic?

Basic earns 8 badges, led by Guilty pleasure and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Basic worth watching?

Basic's Midcredits score is the 58th percentile of all films, from 95K ratings across 6 sources. 56% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

58th percentile

Better received than 58% of films

60th percentile among Crime56th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)53rd
Approval (how many liked it)61st

62 /100

53rd percentile of all films

55th percentile among Crime53rd percentile among 2000s

Critics 34 · Audience 65

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.6 — solid but not unanimous.

56% liked it

61st percentile of all films

61st percentile among Crime58th percentile among 2000s
56% rated it 7–1044% rated it 1–6

Critics 21% · Audience 62%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 3 noms overall

95th percentile

95K ratings across platforms

93rd percentile among Crime90th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 20% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$50M
Opening weekend$12M
Domestic gross$27M
Worldwide gross$43M

Returned 0.9× its budget — 91st percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a twist-heavy mystery thriller that prioritizes surprise over coherence.

Fans praised

  • twisty plot with multiple reversals keeps guessing
  • strong lead performances from Travolta and Jackson
  • tense, fast-paced mystery with Rashomon-style storytelling

Detractors panned

  • excessive plot twists become incoherent and absurd
  • ending undermines everything with unsatisfying reversals
  • confusing narrative with no logical through-line

What stands out

Acting72

Travolta charismatic, Jackson intense but underused

TensionDivisive55

engages early, dissipates with overcomplication

OriginalityDivisive52

Rashomon riff feels derivative of Courage Under Fire

Pacing50

quick but exhausting from constant reversals

Characters48

thinly drawn, serve plot mechanics

Plot and storyDivisive28

overstuffed with contradictions and unresolved holes

EndingDivisive22

laughably unsatisfying, multiple final reversals

Preferred by

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 12 points higher than under-30s.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 12 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 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Basic like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you can only half-watch or you want every question answered.

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

What it asks of you

Your full attention and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDread
Heaviest: middle
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Sardonic · 1% of films: Mocking with a bitter edge.
Told as
Multiple perspectives · 2% of films: The same events retold from different characters' points of view.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its convoluted mystery straight, with a serious and tense atmosphere, though it allows for some sardonic humor from Travolta's character.
The rideThe film sustains suspense and unease as the investigation shifts through contradictory accounts, with its most intense revelations occurring in the middle act.
StructureThe investigation unfolds in the present, with the events of the training mission revealed through conflicting flashbacks from multiple characters.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's endless twists and layered deception leave the viewer questioning every perspective, provoking thought long after the credits.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous 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).Mystery
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%: 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% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% (this title) · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Investigation: A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).

7% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe film is a mystery investigation where the truth is revealed through multiple conflicting accounts, culminating in an expose of a drug smuggling conspiracy.

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 filmsSelfTruthIdeas
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% (this title) · 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%: 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% (this title): Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% (this title) · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Ideas

Truth · 4% of filmsIdentity · 14% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film is about the malleability of truth and the deceptive layers beneath a military and drug-enforcement investigation.
StanceThe film questions the reliability of truth and the corrupting influence of institutions, never fully settling on a moral.

The world

ContemporaryWildernessInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Klaus Badelt
SettingA remote jungle training ground and a military base in Panama
MusicUnderstated orchestral tension underscores the thriller's mystery.

Content guide

Is Basic okay for kids?

R

Basic is rated R: “Rated R for violence and language” (MPAA). As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (80/100), sexual content at mild (22/100), language at severe (86/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (28/100) and frightening material at moderate (43/100). Its drug and alcohol content has too few votes to rank. Overall it is heavier than 55% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 9 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • FranceU
  • Ireland15
  • Czechia12+
  • Greece15
  • ItalyT
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 73% of all filmsHeavier than 55% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 65%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 15%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 85%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (6 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 27%

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

The reason to think twice is language and violence. 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 Basic have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Basic?

Cast

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

John Travolta
as Hardy
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.
Connie Nielsen
as Osborne
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Samuel L. Jackson
as West
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.
Tim Daly
as Styles
Giovanni Ribisi
as Kendall
Brian Van Holt
as Dunbar
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Taye Diggs
as Pike
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Dash Mihok
as Mueller
Cristián de la Fuente
as Castro
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Roselyn Sanchez
as Nunez

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Basic?

Movies like Basic include Jack Reacher (2012), City of Lies (2018) and Blind Horizon (2003). Of the 12 closest matches, half are conspiracy thrillers, and most are films about truth.

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

All 12 share its character type: unlikely alliance. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Basic?

980 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: conspiracy thriller. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.