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The Fugitive

The Fugitive

A murdered wife. A one-armed man. An obsessed detective. The chase begins.

1993130 minPG-13Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Director
Andrew Davis
Starring
Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Joe Pantoliano, Jeroen Krabbé

Wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and sentenced to death, Richard Kimble escapes from the law in an attempt to find the real killer and clear his name.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Fugitive?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Fugitive to rent or buy on Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Fugitive?

The Fugitive earns 14 badges, led by Top 1% in Action and Stood the test of time.

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

Reception

Is The Fugitive worth watching?

The Fugitive's Midcredits score is the 98th percentile of all films, from 693K ratings across 6 sources. 90% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

98th percentile

Better received than 98% of films

99th percentile among Action98th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)95th
Approval (how many liked it)98th

79 /100

95th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Action97th percentile among 1990s

Critics 87 · Audience 78

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A tight consensus around 7.9 — people broadly agree on this one.

90% liked it

98th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Action98th percentile among 1990s
90% rated it 7–1010% rated it 1–6

Critics 96% · Audience 89%

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

Awards

1 Oscars won · 6 Oscar noms · 13 wins / 37 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Actor in a Supporting Role
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Cinematography

98th percentile

692K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Action98th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 29% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$44M
Opening weekend$24M
Domestic gross$184M
Worldwide gross$369M

Returned 8.4× its budget — 95th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A smart, fast-paced cat-and-mouse thriller anchored by the lead performances and spectacular set pieces.

Fans praised

  • Tommy Lee Jones's scene-stealing Oscar-winning performance as Marshal Gerard
  • Harrison Ford's grounded, vulnerable everyman portrayal of Dr. Kimble
  • Relentless cat-and-mouse suspense and spectacular practical stunts (train wreck, dam jump)

Detractors panned

  • Implausible plot contrivances and lucky escapes
  • Weak conspiracy subplot and predictable outcome
  • Dull, colorless direction and standard TV-quality cinematography

What stands out

ActingDivisive90

Ford's vulnerable everyman and Jones's Oscar-winning charismatic marshal

TensionDivisive90

Relentless edge-of-your-seat suspense throughout

PacingDivisive85

Relentless forward momentum after the first 20 minutes

Effects and spectacleDivisive80

Spectacular practical stunts: train wreck and dam leap

CharactersDivisive75

Compelling cat-and-mouse dynamic between intelligent adversaries

DialogueDivisive75

Memorable one-liners and sharp exchanges, especially Jones's 'I don't care'

EndingDivisive70

Satisfying resolution with a handcuffed-but-free punchline

Plot and storyDivisive65

Entertaining but relies on coincidences and implausibilities

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men 8 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 3 points apart
  • Critics vs users 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Fugitive 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, never lets up and leaves you satisfied. 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

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseThrillingDread
Heaviest: middle
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Wry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneKeeps its dramatic premise straight, but offsets tension with Marshal Gerard's dry humour.
The rideThe film maintains an almost constant, high-octane tension driven by the cat-and-mouse chase and the ticking clock of Kimble's investigation, with several peaks of thrilling action and a persistent sense of dread from the looming legal system.
StructureLinear chronological storytelling from crime to escape to investigation and resolution.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Satisfied.

Cathartic · 6% of filmsThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe successful exposure of corruption and the chase's resolution leaves a cathartic release, while the system's failure lingers.
How it ends · evidence
Happy 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).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

with Quest underneath

Why this archetypeThe story is driven by the question of who killed Kimble's wife, and ends when the conspiracy is exposed; the protagonist's investigation and the marshal's pursuit both fit the mystery archetype.

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 filmsSelfJusticeMorality
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% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · 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%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% (this title) · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsTruth · 4% of filmsCorruption · 3% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeAt its core, the film is about an innocent man seeking to prove his innocence and expose a corrupt corporate cover-up, a journey driven by the pursuit of justice and the revelation of hidden truth.
StanceThe film warns about the corrupting power of money in the pharmaceutical industry, but the stakes remain personal: one man's fight for his life and innocence.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalIn transitRealistic
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score · James Newton Howard
Setting1990s Chicago, hospitals, courthouses, and a massive St. Patrick's Day parade
MusicThe score is built around a tense, rhythmic main theme ("The Fugitive Theme") that drives the chase sequences and a more somber, melancholic motif for Kimble's quest.

Content guide

Is The Fugitive okay for kids?

PG-13

The Fugitive is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for a murder and other action sequences in an adventure setting” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (62/100), sexual content at mild (27/100), language at moderate (49/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (30/100) and frightening material at intense (62/100). Overall it is heavier than 74% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 21 other countries
  • UK12
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland12
  • New ZealandM
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • Czechia12+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Hungary16
  • MexicoB
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway15
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/12
  • SK15
  • Spain12
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 46% of all filmsHeavier than 74% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 76%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 45%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 67%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 45%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 78%

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 PG-13-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 Fugitive have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Fugitive?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor; Tommy Lee Jones won the Oscar for this film.

Harrison Ford
as Dr. Richard Kimble
Globe nominee: Golden Globe nomination — Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Tommy Lee Jones
as Samuel Gerard
Oscar win: Academy Award — Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Joe Pantoliano
as Cosmo Renfro
Jeroen Krabbé
as Dr. Charles Nichols
Daniel Roebuck
as Biggs
L. Scott Caldwell
as Poole
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Tom Wood
as Newman
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ron Dean
as Detective Kelly
Joseph F. Kosala
as Detective Rosetti
Andreas Katsulas
as Sykes
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Fugitive?

Movies like The Fugitive include U.S. Marshals (1998), Extreme Measures (1996) and Chain Reaction (1996). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films set in Chicago, and most are conspiracy thrillers.

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

Andrew Davis directed 5 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

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

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