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The Command

The Command

Together till the end.

2018117 minPG-13Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Director
Thomas Vinterberg
Starring
Matthias Schoenaerts, Léa Seydoux, Peter Simonischek, Max von Sydow

Barents Sea, August 12th, 2000. During a Russian naval exercise, and after suffering a serious accident, the K-141 Kursk submarine sinks with 118 crew members on board. While the few sailors who are still alive barely manage to survive, their families push for accurate information and a British officer struggles to obtain from the Russian government a permit to attempt a rescue before it is late. But general incompetence are against all their efforts.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Command?

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

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Command?

The Command earns 5 badges, led by Star-studded and Crowd Pleaser.

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

Reception

Is The Command worth watching?

The Command's Midcredits score is the 64th percentile of all films, from 42K ratings across 6 sources. 60% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

64th percentile

Better received than 64% of films

78th percentile among Action64th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)60th
Approval (how many liked it)66th

64 /100

60th percentile of all films

76th percentile among Action60th percentile among 2010s

Critics 55 · Audience 65

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.7 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

60% liked it

66th percentile of all films

77th percentile among Action66th percentile among 2010s
60% rated it 7–1040% rated it 1–6

Critics 72% · Audience 55%

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

93rd percentile

41K ratings across platforms

87th percentile among Action93rd percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 4% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$20M
Worldwide gross$6.8M

Returned 0.3× its budget — 54th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A tragic story of a submarine disaster caused by government and military incompetence, with fictionalized details filling in unknown events.

Fans praised

  • Claustrophobic, immersive submarine sequences
  • Strong emotional and human focus on crew and families
  • Solid performances, especially Matthias Schoenaerts and Léa Seydoux

Detractors panned

  • Fabricated and inaccurate portrayal of real events
  • Anti-Russian bias and one-sided political narrative
  • English-language cast with mismatched accents undermines credibility

What stands out

Acting72

Matthias Schoenaerts and Léa Seydoux praised; Max von Sydow and Colin Firth noted but criticized for age or limited role

Cinematography70

Underwater shots and claustrophobic framing praised; aspect ratio changes divisive

AtmosphereDivisive70

Claustrophobic and tense submarine atmosphere; some find it less immersive on land

Effects and spectacle65

Practical and digital effects effective, but some find VFX average

Emotional impactDivisive60

Tragic story resonates with fans; detractors find it manipulative or melodramatic

CharactersDivisive55

Some engagement with crew, but many find character development shallow or formulaic

PacingDivisive45

First act slow; submarine sequences tense, but on-land scenes feel padded

Plot and storyDivisive40

Fictionalized narrative seen as inaccurate and biased by detractors; fans accept dramatic liberties

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men 4 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Command like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you devastated. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

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

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseMelancholicDreadElegiac
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Bleak · 8% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats the disaster with grave respect, focusing on the human cost and bureaucratic indifference.
The rideThe film maintains a mounting tension and desperation, culminating in the emotional blow of the rescue arriving too late, shifting to a funereal elegy.
StructureConventional chronology from the wedding through the disaster and failed rescue.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Devastated.

The answer rests on this: Devastating · 3% of filmsInfuriating · 4% of films: Leaves you angry at an injustice the film shows, never at the film.
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you heartbroken for the lost men and angry at the corruption that doomed them.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic 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).Tragedy
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% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3% (this title)
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Crushed by fate: Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe Kursk disaster is a tragedy of bureaucratic failure and human endurance; the film follows the trapped crew's final hours as rescue efforts are fatally delayed.

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 filmsSelfSurvival
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% (this title) · 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% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% (this title) · 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%

Survival

SurvivalCorruption · 3% of filmsGrief · 6% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film juxtaposes the crew's will to live with the military bureaucracy's fatal reluctance to accept foreign help.
StanceThe film indicts bureaucratic pride and military negligence that cost lives, presenting the disaster as a warning about institutional indifference.

The world

Early 21st centuryIn transitInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Alexandre Desplat
SettingAboard the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk in the Barents Sea, and the shore establishment in Murmansk in August 2000.
MusicDesplat's score underscores the tension and grief without overwhelming the realism.

Content guide

Is The Command okay for kids?

PG-13

The Command is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for some intense disaster-related peril and disturbing images, and for brief strong language” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (31/100), sexual content at mild (18/100), language at moderate (46/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (35/100) and frightening material at moderate (56/100). Overall it is heavier than 43% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 25 other countries
  • UK12A
  • CanadaPG
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceU
  • Ireland12A
  • New ZealandM
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • BelgiumKT/EA
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-12
  • Hong KongIIA
  • Hungary16
  • MexicoB-15
  • Netherlands14
  • Norway15
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/14
  • Russia16+
  • Spain7
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland12
  • TaiwanPG-12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 28% of all filmsHeavier than 43% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 25%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 25%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 61%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 65%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 66%

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

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is frightening material, heavier than 66% of PG-13-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 The Command have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Command?

Cast

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

Matthias Schoenaerts
as Mikhail Averin
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Léa Seydoux
as Tanya Averina
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.
Peter Simonischek
as Admiral Vyacheslav Grudzinsky
Max von Sydow
as Vladimir Petrenko
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
August Diehl
as Anton Markov
Colin Firth
as Commodore David Russell
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.
Bjarne Henriksen
as Russian Rescue Ship Captain
Magnus Millang
as Oleg Lebedev
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Joel Basman
as Leo
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Pit Bukowski
as Maxim

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Command?

Movies like The Command include The Impossible (2012), The Mother (2023) and Godzilla (2014). Of the 10 closest matches, several are disaster survival stories, and half are stories about parents and children.

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

3 of these 10 share its world: the Arctic and Antarctic. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Command?

545 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: disaster survival. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.