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Hacksaw Ridge

Hacksaw Ridge

One of the greatest heroes in American history never fired a bullet.

2016139 minRMidcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Director
Mel Gibson
Starring
Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Vince Vaughn, Teresa Palmer

WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first Conscientious Objector in American history to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Hacksaw Ridge?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Hacksaw Ridge streaming on Lionsgate+ via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Hacksaw Ridge?

Hacksaw Ridge earns 12 badges, led by Top 1% of films and Oscar Winner.

Show 4 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is Hacksaw Ridge worth watching?

Hacksaw Ridge's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all films, from 2M ratings across 6 sources. 92% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of films

99th percentile among Biography99th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)97th
Approval (how many liked it)99th

81 /100

97th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Biography97th percentile among 2010s

Critics 71 · Audience 82

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

92% liked it

99th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Biography99th percentile among 2010s
92% rated it 7–108% rated it 1–6

Critics 84% · Audience 92%

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

Awards

2 Oscars won · 4 Oscar noms · 28 wins / 67 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Film Editing
  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

99th percentile

2M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Biography99th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 5% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$40M
Opening weekend$15M
Domestic gross$67M
Worldwide gross$180M

Returned 4.5× its budget — 97th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film delivers intense, visceral battle scenes and a sincere tribute to Desmond Doss's bravery, though they differ on whether the surrounding drama earns its emotional weight.

Fans praised

  • brutal, immersive battle sequences
  • Andrew Garfield's humane, committed lead performance
  • Vince Vaughn's unexpectedly nuanced turn

Detractors panned

  • overwrought heroics and hagiographic tone
  • thinly drawn peripheral characters
  • awkward, derivative climactic stretch

What stands out

Cinematography85

visceral, beautifully composed battle photography

ActingDivisive82

Garfield's emotional core and Vaughn's surprising depth

Effects and spectacleDivisive80

massive, gory set pieces and practical-scale action

Emotional impactDivisive75

inspirational core lands for many, but some find it manipulative

TensionDivisive75

brutal battle set pieces generate dread, but historical outcome lessens it

Plot and storyDivisive60

true-story structure, but history removes jeopardy and climax feels awkward

PacingDivisive60

deliberate first half, relentless second, some drag early

CharactersDivisive55

central Doss well-drawn but peripheral troops lack dimension

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men even
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users even
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Hacksaw Ridge like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want an easy night.

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

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseHopefulCathartic
Heaviest: late
Dry humor
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brutal · 7% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents its material with complete sincerity, treating Doss's faith and heroism with reverence while depicting the horrors of war with unflinching gravity.
The rideThe battle sequences are intensely tense, while Doss' faith and romance provide hopefulness; the heaviest emotional weight is in the rescue sequence late in the film.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically from Doss's childhood, through his romance and enlistment, to the climactic battle, following a conventional three-act structure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

HopefulRousing · 10% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe viewer carries away a powerful sense of hope and inspiration from Doss's unwavering faith and heroic compassion, feeling uplifted by the resilience of the human spirit.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

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).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): 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%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

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

21% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

Why this archetypeThe film centers on Desmond Doss's struggle against the brutal war machine on Hacksaw Ridge, framed as a monster of violence and death, while his personal journey of conviction and redemption forms a clear rebirth arc.

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 filmsSelfSacrificeMorality
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% · 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% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% (this title) · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% (this title) · 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% (this title) · 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%

Morality

Sacrifice · 4% of filmsFaith · 3% of filmsDuty · 2% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores Doss' willingness to sacrifice his own safety for others, driven by his faith and sense of duty, without compromising his principles.
StanceThe film celebrates Doss's unwavering faith and sacrifice, framing his heroism as an example of moral courage under societal and military pressure.

The world

Mid 20th centuryWildernessDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Rupert Gregson-Williams
SettingWorld War II: Virginia, Fort Jackson, and the Battle of Okinawa on Hacksaw Ridge
MusicThe score swells during emotional and battle moments, underscoring Doss's internal and external struggles.

Content guide

Is Hacksaw Ridge okay for kids?

R

Hacksaw Ridge is rated R: “Rated R for intense prolonged realistically graphic sequences of war violence including grisly bloody images” (MPAA). As of October 18, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (96/100), sexual content at moderate (36/100), language at moderate (43/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at severe (94/100). Overall it is heavier than 81% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 27 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland16
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
  • Belgium12
  • BGD
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceΚ-15
  • Hungary18
  • Israelהותר לבני 16 ומעלה
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-13
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/16
  • Russia18+
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 88% of all filmsHeavier than 81% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 97%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 32%
Profanity
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 16%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 25%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 98%

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

The reason to think twice is violence and frightening material. 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 Hacksaw Ridge have?

MovieCove's classifier found 6 depicted content warnings in Hacksaw Ridge: Gore or body horror (severe), Gun violence (severe), War atrocities (severe), Domestic violence (moderate), Addiction or relapse (mild), plus 1 withheld here because it would spoil the plot. 1 more is mentioned only, in dialogue or backstory: Hate-motivated violence. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereGore or body horrorGun violenceWar atrocities
ModerateDomestic violence
MildAddiction or relapse
MentionedHate-motivated violence

Mentioned: referenced in dialogue or backstory, not shown in the story’s present.

Cast and crew

Who is in Hacksaw Ridge?

Cast

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

Andrew Garfield
as Desmond Doss
Oscar nominee: Academy Award nomination — Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sam Worthington
as Captain Glover
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.
Vince Vaughn
as Sgt Howell
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.
Teresa Palmer
as Dorothy Schutte
Luke Bracey
as Smitty Ryker
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Hugo Weaving
as Tom Doss
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Rachel Griffiths
as Bertha Doss
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Ryan Corr
as Lieutenant Manville
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Richard Roxburgh
as Colonel Stelzer
Goran D. Kleut
as Ghoul
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Hacksaw Ridge?

Movies like Hacksaw Ridge include We Were Soldiers (2002), The Patriot (2000) and John Rabe (2009). Of the 12 closest matches, half are films set during World War II, and most are stories about soldiers.

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

9 of these 12 share its world: war epic. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Hacksaw Ridge?

813 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: war epic. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.