The Hurt Locker

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The Hurt Locker

R

2009

2h 5m

War

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

289 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Staff Sgt. William James (Jeremy Renner), Sgt. J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) are members of a bomb-disposal unit in Baghdad. As their tour of duty enters its final weeks, the men face a set of increasingly hazardous situations, any of which could end their lives in an explosive instant.

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Critics Consensus

A well-acted, intensely shot, action filled war epic, Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker is thus far the best of the recent dramatizations of the Iraq War.

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Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

09/30/2022

... An unflinching look at the personal cost of being really good at a really tough job.

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Ed Koch

The Atlantic

01/17/2018

The Hurt Locker is without a doubt one of the best war pictures I have ever seen, and I have seen most of them.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

09/12/2017

B+

I probably should have seen this movie when I had the chance in theaters, but as a DVD it didn't live up to the hype, though it was well done.

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Ezequiel Boetti

EscribiendoCine

1d

8/10

...The Hurt Locker is an intense story that addresses war, shocking for its brutality and for a regrettable factor: its undesirable relevance today. [Full review in Spanish]

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Sep 11

3/5

Every actor gave their best, and while some of the sequences are effective, the overall message undercut some of the concepts it was trying to get across.

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Josh Parham

Next Best Picture

Aug 22

8/10

It crafts a mesmerizing display that manifests intense suspense sequences while building an intimate space for these characters to interact and explore their feelings in this constrictive arena.

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Joshua B

@WildSquirrel 6d

Watching this in a world of Russian aggression and Trump escalation, this film hits differently. Wars are fought by people, and this film shows us that. You feel the grueling and brutal experiences of the soldiers. The run time feels appropriate. One gripe I have is that, although I am a fan of cameos in films, I was left wanting more from one particular British actor whose role ends up feeling too slight.

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jason c

@empty_vessel Jan 23

rlly cool and action filled movie but sgt james shoulda been off ages ago also brian moser mentioned

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Jake S.

@TheBrewMan Jan 2

One of a kind. Full focus on a great actor who is trying to save people around him 24/7. Whether it be bombs hidden in the turf, hidden in a car, or a sniper from over a mile away. INTENSE!!! There’s a reason it won best picture.

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Jack F

@MovieFan111 Nov 19

Yeah yeah. Great cast. But hella boring. This is officially by least favorite war movie. Just watch Black Hawk Down or Jarhead instead.

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Andrew C.

@TerryHoitz550 Nov 13

Really liked the movie. I found Sgt James to be super relatable. I find myself being reckless and frustrating my coworkers in my dangerous line of work. The end of the movie felt rushed. Didn’t get an update on Owen, we get a sad ending for Sandborn. And the ending for James also seemed unresolved. But I really enjoyed the movie.

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alex S.

@isualum12 Oct 3

"The Hurt Locker" is seriously one of the better war movies I've seen. Jeremy Renner's acting is solid—he plays this bomb guy who's totally hooked on the danger, and it's gripping to watch. The plot is fantastic because it's not some huge battle epic; it's just one terrifying bomb mission after another, which makes it feel real and incredibly tense. It's a really good movie, period. It just misses that perfect 5-star mark because the supporting guys could've had a bit more to do. Still, absolutely a must-watch. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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Kathryn Bigelow

Director

Jeremy Renner

Staff Sergeant William James

Anthony Mackie

Sergeant JT Sanborn

Brian Geraghty

Specialist Owen Eldridge

Guy Pearce

Sergeant Matt Thompson

Ralph Fiennes

Contractor Team Leader

The Hurt Locker: Official Clip - Not Enough Time

2:55

The Hurt Locker: Official Clip - Insurgent Sniper

4:21

The Hurt Locker: Official Clip - Stuff That Almost Killed Me

2:24

The Hurt Locker: Official Clip - Wild Man

2:00

The Hurt Locker: Official Clip - What Are We Shooting At?

3:16

The Hurt Locker: Official Clip - We're Done

2:48

The Hurt Locker: Official Clip - Got a Wire

2:19

The Hurt Locker: Official Clip - Die Comfortable

1:21

The Hurt Locker: Official Clip - You Wanna Back Up?

2:52

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Synopsis

Staff Sgt. William James (Jeremy Renner), Sgt. J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) are members of a bomb-disposal unit in Baghdad. As their tour of duty enters its final weeks, the men face a set of increasingly hazardous situations, any of which could end their lives in an explosive instant.

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Producer: Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier
Screenwriter: Mark Boal
Distributor: Summit Media
Production Co: Kingsgate Films, Voltage Pictures, First Light Production
Rating: R (War Violence|Language)
Genre: War, Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 31, 2009, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 24, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $15.7M
Runtime: 2h 5m

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