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The Deer Hunter

The Deer Hunter

One of the most important and powerful films of all time!

1978183 minRMidcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Director
Michael Cimino
Starring
Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Cazale, John Savage

Three steelworkers enlist in the army and are sent to Vietnam, one leaving behind a rushed marriage, the others a shared love. What they encounter during the war changes their lives forever.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Deer Hunter?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Deer Hunter streaming on Netflix and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Deer Hunter?

The Deer Hunter earns 14 badges, led by Top 1% of films and Best Picture winner.

Show 6 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Deer Hunter worth watching?

The Deer Hunter's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all films, from 728K ratings across 6 sources. 88% 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 Drama99th percentile among 1970s
Acclaim (how much people like it)98th
Approval (how many liked it)97th

82 /100

98th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Drama98th percentile among 1970s

Critics 90 · Audience 81

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

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

88% liked it

97th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Drama98th percentile among 1970s
88% rated it 7–1012% rated it 1–6

Critics 86% · Audience 91%

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

Awards

5 Oscars won · 4 Oscar noms · 22 wins / 27 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Actor in a Supporting Role
  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Director

98th percentile

727K ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Drama99th percentile among 1970s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 23% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$15M
Domestic gross$49M
Worldwide gross$49M

Returned 3.3× its budget — 94th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a serious, character-driven drama about the effects of Vietnam on a group of small-town steelworkers, with strong acting and a realistic, atmospheric setting.

Fans praised

  • Strong performances from De Niro, Walken, Savage, Streep
  • Authentic, lived-in depiction of working-class small-town life
  • Powerful, moving meditation on war's impact on ordinary people

Detractors panned

  • Extremely slow pacing and overlong runtime, especially in the first hour
  • Story doesn't make clear sense, with plot holes and a lack of coherence
  • Low content-per-minute, with scenes dragging without payoff

What stands out

ActingDivisive92

Ensemble praised as exceptional, especially Walken and De Niro

Atmosphere90

Immersive, authentic feel of small-town and war settings

Cinematography88

Beautifully shot, with authentic set designs and visual atmosphere

CharactersDivisive85

Characters feel like real people, well-developed before the war

Emotional impact85

Emotionally resonant, especially due to character investment

OriginalityDivisive80

Seen as unique among war films for focusing on homefront and character

Plot and storyDivisive55

Story sometimes seen as incoherent or lacking sense, especially post-war

PacingDivisive35

Slow, overlong, with many drawn-out scenes

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men 5 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Deer Hunter like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Harrowing: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for a hard story that does not look away.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you devastated. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

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

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Harrowing.

Moods
TenseMelancholicDread
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film holds its material with grave sincerity, treating the characters' tragedy with solemn weight and unflinching brutality.
The rideSustained tension and dread build through the war sequences, but the emotional weight peaks in the final act with Nick's death and the mournful wake.
StructureThe film unfolds in a straightforward chronological order, from pre-war life through the Vietnam ordeal and its aftermath.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Devastated.

The answer rests on this: Devastating · 3% of filmsHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a profound sense of loss and the tragic cost of war, with the Cavatina theme lingering long after.
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).Voyage
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% (this title): Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% (this title) · 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%

Voyage and return: Into a strange world and back again, changed. · Survival ordeal: Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).

4% of films fit this archetype

with Quest underneath

Why this archetypeThe film follows three friends from a small Pennsylvania town who are captured in Vietnam and forced to play Russian roulette, then escape and return home changed; Michael's later mission to rescue Nick adds a quest element.

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 filmsSelfFriendship
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% (this title) · 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%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · 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% (this title) · 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%

Bonds

Friendship · 9% of filmsTrauma · 7% of filmsSacrifice · 4% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeAt its heart, the film is about the unbreakable but brutalized bond between a group of friends, and how war shatters their loyalty and leaves lasting psychological wounds.
StanceDespite the epic canvas, the film's stance is intimate and mournful, grieving the destruction of friendship and the human spirit by war.

The world

Late 20th centuryUrbanWildernessInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalFolkSupportive music · hybrid · Stanley Myers
SettingClairton, Pennsylvania, a steel-mill town, and the battlefields and casinos of Vietnam
MusicThe iconic guitar piece 'Cavatina' underscores the film's aching elegy for lost innocence.

Content guide

Is The Deer Hunter okay for kids?

R

The Deer Hunter is rated R. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (92/100), sexual content at moderate (45/100), language at severe (86/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (55/100) and frightening material at severe (93/100). Overall it is heavier than 94% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 20 other countries
  • UK18
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France16
  • Ireland18
  • JapanPG12
  • South Korea18
  • Brazil18
  • Austria16
  • Belgium16
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyVM14
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway18
  • PortugalM/18
  • Russia18+
  • Spain18
  • Sweden15
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 96% of all filmsHeavier than 94% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 90%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 45%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 83%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 69%
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 frightening material, violence, and language. 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 The Deer Hunter have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Deer Hunter?

Cast

3 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; Christopher Walken won the Oscar for this film.

Robert De Niro
as Michael
Oscar nominee: Academy Award nomination — Best Actor in a Leading RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Christopher Walken
as Nick
Oscar win: Academy Award — Best Actor in a Supporting RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
John Cazale
as Stan
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
John Savage
as Steven
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Meryl Streep
as Linda
Oscar nominee: Academy Award nomination — Best Actress in a Supporting RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
George Dzundza
as John
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Rutanya Alda
as Angela
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Pierre Segui
as Julien
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Amy Wright
as Bridesmaid
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.
Richard Kuss
as Linda's Father
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Deer Hunter?

Movies like The Deer Hunter include Fear and Desire (1952), Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) and The Killing Fields (1984). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films set during the Vietnam War, and several are survival ordeal stories.

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

8 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 The Deer Hunter?

335 other films share the rarest tag below, premise: death game. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.