Eye in the Sky

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2:30

Eye in the Sky

R

2016

1h 42m

Mystery & Thriller

War

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

219 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

A lieutenant general (Alan Rickman) and a colonel (Helen Mirren) face political opposition after ordering a drone missile strike to take out a group of suicide bombers in Nairobi, Kenya.

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Critics Consensus

As taut as it is timely, Eye in the Sky offers a powerfully acted -- and unusually cerebral -- spin on the modern wartime political thriller.

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Raphael Abraham

Financial Times

12/27/2016

3/5

Director Gavin Hood works the tension and the moral uncertainty to good effect but at times the film feels schematic and too much like revision.

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Dwight Brown

National Newspaper Publishers Association

11/08/2016

It's hard to watch the film and not vacillate between wanting them to act, and wanting them to stand down.

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

08/11/2016

3/4

Hood and Hibbert's procedural is a crackerjack affair in all the ways that count, and it's safe to say it looks at this hot button issue in a way certain to get audiences talking afterward.

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Sarah Vincent

Sarah G Vincent Views

06/09/2024

“Eye in the Sky” is well-intentioned, but boring AF and probably would make a better television series than film because then the characters could be three-dimensional instead of archetypes.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

04/18/2022

3.5/4

Considers a much larger canvas than the warfare itself, from the politicians approving drone missions to the undercover agents on the ground scouting them.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

09/18/2021

3.5/4

To their enormous credit, director Gavin Hood and writer Guy Hibbert offer no easy answers and take no easy outs, electing instead to keep viewers as conflicted and uncomfortable as the characters on the screen.

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S P

@S1337 Jan 23

The trolley's dilemma in modern assymetrical warfare. Despite overwhelming technical superiority, we still have to face decisions that are moral.

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jason c

@empty_vessel Jan 23

probably one of the dumbest movies i have ever seen. i honestly don't understand how this got so many good reviews. the plot was dumb; the acting was just weird... it's just not good. obviously, the answer would be to pick the lesser of 2 evils but apparently that was such a hard decision for every character in this movie?? this was unfortunately a hard watch and i will most likely never watch this again on my own free will lol

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William W

@RT66515145 Nov 8

One of the best war thrillers in 10 years. Depicting the extreme unpredictability and moral complexity of modern war on terror (especially drone warfare).

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Gareth v

@geewah Aug 5

A smart, tightly-wound thriller that explores the moral complexity of modern warfare. It's a high-stakes ethical drama that lingers long after the credits roll.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 May 13

1 hour and 42 minutes of drama. Rated R for Some Violent Images and Language!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Ellie S

@RT80949804 04/05/2025

Very simple but original idea. No idea how it was going to end. Thrilling!

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Gavin Hood

Director

Helen Mirren

Colonel Katherine Powell

Aaron Paul

Steve Watts

Alan Rickman

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Barkhad Abdi

Jama Farah

Iain Glen

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Eye in the Sky: North American Trailer

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Synopsis

A lieutenant general (Alan Rickman) and a colonel (Helen Mirren) face political opposition after ordering a drone missile strike to take out a group of suicide bombers in Nairobi, Kenya.

Director: Gavin Hood
Producer: David Lancaster, Colin Firth, Ged Doherty
Screenwriter: Guy Hibbert
Distributor: Bleecker Street Media
Production Co: Entertainment One, Raindog Films
Rating: R (Some Violent Images|Language)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, War, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 1, 2016, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 4, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $18.7M
Runtime: 1h 42m

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