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Hunter Killer

Hunter Killer

Courage runs deep.

2018121 minRMidcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Director
Donovan Marsh
Starring
Gerard Butler, Gary Oldman, Toby Stephens, Common

Untested American submarine commander, Capt. Joe Glass of the USS Arkansas, is on the hunt for a U.S. sub in distress in the Arctic Ocean. He soon learns a secret Russian coup is in the offing, a conspiracy that threatens to dismantle the world order. With crew and country on the line, Glass must coordinate with an elite group of Navy SEALs to sneak through enemy waters, rescue the kidnapped Russian president, and hopefully prevent World War III.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Hunter Killer?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Hunter Killer streaming on Howdy via Prime Video, Lionsgate+ via Prime Video, Pluto TV (free) and Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Hunter Killer?

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

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is Hunter Killer worth watching?

Hunter Killer's Midcredits score is the 66th percentile of all films, from 124K ratings across 6 sources. 64% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

66th percentile

Better received than 66% of films

80th percentile among Action66th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)59th
Approval (how many liked it)71st

64 /100

59th percentile of all films

75th percentile among Action59th percentile among 2010s

Critics 43 · Audience 66

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.9 — solid but not unanimous.

64% liked it

71st percentile of all films

81st percentile among Action72nd percentile among 2010s
64% rated it 7–1036% rated it 1–6

Critics 38% · Audience 67%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 0 noms overall

97th percentile

124K ratings across platforms

94th percentile among Action97th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 14% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$40M
Opening weekend$6.7M
Domestic gross$16M
Worldwide gross$32M

Returned 0.8× its budget — 73rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

It's a derivative, predictable submarine thriller with good visuals and tense action, but weak character depth and writing.

Fans praised

  • edge-of-your-seat suspense and non-stop action
  • throwback to classic 80s/90s military thrillers
  • underwater scenes and cinematography are flawless

Detractors panned

  • predictable plot and poor writing
  • dialogue drowned out by loud score and sound effects
  • unmotivated characters and lack of backstory

What stands out

TensionDivisive75

edge-of-your-seat suspense throughout

AtmosphereDivisive70

tension-filled and immersive, especially underwater

PacingDivisive60

slow start but becomes relentless after the setup

ActingDivisive55

Gerard Butler and cast deliver solid but unremarkable performances

CharactersDivisive40

lack of backstory and motivation, but some supporting characters stand out

Plot and storyDivisive35

predictable and full of holes, but engaging in a popcorn way

Dialogue30

clichéd military talk, often buried under the score

Originality25

very derivative of Hunt for Red October and other submarine thrillers

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 10 points higher than men.

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

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 9 points apart
  • Critics vs users 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is Hunter Killer like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Fun ride: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want a fun ride.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you fired up. Skip it when you can only half-watch.

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

What it asks of you

Your full attention.

What it feels like

Fun ride.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseThrillingHopeful
Heaviest: late
Register
Adventurous · 11% of filmsEpic · 2% of films: Vast in scale: big landscapes, big stakes, a long span.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its high-stakes military scenario straight, delivering a sincere and tense action thriller without irony.
The rideSustained suspense during submarine chases and SEAL infiltration, with a reprieve toward a hopeful resolution.
StructureThe plot follows a linear, conventional three-act structure: setup (disappearance and investigation), confrontation (rescuing survivors and discovering the coup), and resolution (the rescue and war averted).

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Fired up.

The answer rests on this: Rousing · 10% of filmsHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you with a sense of relief and admiration for the characters' efforts to avert war and rescue the president.
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).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · 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. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

with Quest underneath

Why this archetypeThe story is driven by the need to stop a rogue defense minister staging a coup and starting a world war, with the submarine team and SEALs working to rescue the captured president and defeat the tyrant.

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 filmsSelfDutyMorality
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% (this title) · 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% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · 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% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Duty · 2% of filmsPower · 2% of filmsSurvival
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores duty to one's country versus following orders that could start a war, set against a backdrop of a power grab and the survival of a submarine crew.
StanceThe film questions where duty lies when orders risk a world war, without celebrating or condemning any single answer.

The world

ContemporaryIn transitInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score
SettingA U.S. submarine in the Barents Sea near a Russian naval base in the Arctic
MusicThe score amplifies the tension of underwater combat and Arctic surveillance.

Content guide

Is Hunter Killer okay for kids?

R

Hunter Killer is rated R: “Rated R for violence and some language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (54/100), sexual content at minimal (3/100), language at moderate (52/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (4/100) and frightening material at moderate (43/100). Overall it is heavier than 6% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 21 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaMA15+
  • Germany16
  • FranceU
  • Ireland15A
  • JapanR18+
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • Hong KongIIB
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-13
  • Netherlands12
  • Poland18
  • PortugalM/12
  • RO12
  • Russia16+
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 30% of all filmsHeavier than 6% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 30%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 1%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 24%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 1%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 26%

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

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is violence, heavier than 30% of R-rated films.

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 Hunter Killer have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Hunter Killer?

Cast

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

Gerard Butler
as Captain Joe Glass
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.
Gary Oldman
as CJCS Charles Donnegan
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.
Toby Stephens
as Bill Beaman
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Common
as RA John Fisk
Linda Cardellini
as Jayne Norquist
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
David Gyasi
as COB Wallach
Gabriel Chavarria
as Jimenez
Ryan McPartlin
as Matt Johnstone
Carter MacIntyre
as XO Brian Edwards
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Zane Holtz
as Paul Martinelli

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Hunter Killer?

Movies like Hunter Killer include The Hunt for Red October (1990), Executive Decision (1996) and Olympus Has Fallen (2013). Of the 12 closest matches, most are political thrillers, and most are military films.

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

9 of these 12 share its subject: duty. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Hunter Killer?

1.1K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: political thriller. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.