The defence The Adrenaline Seeker
“Momentum is a formal choice.”
The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.
Back to trending 
Red Dawn
Action · Thriller · War · 1984
It is the dawn of World War III. In mid-western America, a group of teenagers band together to defend their town—and their country—from invading Soviet forces.
Movie details
Red Dawn
“In our time, no foreign army has ever occupied American soil. Until now.”
1984 Action · Thriller · War 1h 54m
Critical arithmetic
The consensus, allegedly.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
IMDb
6.3 / 10
68.2K votes
Rotten Tomatoes
48 %
Tomatometer
Metacritic
53 / 100
Metascore
TMDB
6.3 / 10
Community rating
External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.
It is the dawn of World War III. In mid-western America, a group of teenagers band together to defend their town—and their country—from invading Soviet forces.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Red Dawn?
For the defence
The Adrenaline Seeker
“If it slows down, you check your phone.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
The Quick and the Dead
Western · 1995
A mysterious woman comes to compete in a quick-draw elimination tournament, in a town taken over by a notorious gunman.
Sand Castle
War · 2017
Set during the occupation of Iraq, a squad of U.S. soldiers try to protect a small village.
The Kill Team
War · 2019
When Andrew Briggman — a young soldier in the US Army during the invasion of Afghanistan — witnesses the murderous behavior of fellow soldiers, under the direction of a malevolent Sergeant, he faces a moral dilemma. His increasingly-violent platoon becomes suspicious that someone in their ranks has turned on them, and Andrew begins to fear for his safety. A fictionalized dramatization based on a true story.
Valiant One
War · 2025
With tensions between North and South Korea, a US helicopter crashes on the North side. The survivors must work together to protect a civilian tech specialist and find their way out without the help of US military support.
El Gringo
Adventure · 2012
A man crossing into Mexico with a satchel of $2,000,000—and a bloody past—finds himself under sudden attack in the sleepy town of El Fronteras.
Walking Tall
Adventure · 2004
A former U.S. soldier returns to his hometown to find it overrun by crime and corruption, which prompts him to clean house.
Black Site
Action · 2022
A group of officers based in a labyrinthine top-secret prison must fight for their lives against Hatchet, a brilliant and infamous high-value detainee. When he escapes, his mysterious and deadly agenda has far reaching and dire consequences.
Best of the Best 2
Action · 1993
In an underground fight club, blackbelt Travis Brickley is killed after losing to the evil martial arts master Brakus. Travis' death is witnessed by Walter Grady, the son of his best friend Alex Grady. Alex and his partner, Tommy Lee, vow to avenge their friend's death by defeating Brakus and shutting down the fight club.
Thieves Highway
Crime · 2025
After discovering a plot to haul stolen cattle in the middle of nowhere, a desperate and isolated lawman becomes the only thing standing between a group of dangerous rustlers and a clear run to the border.
The System
Action · 2022
When a young soldier, newly returned from war, gets caught up in a drug bust, he is recruited by the authorities to go undercover in a notoriously dangerous prison in order to figure out what is really going on.
Where it lives
Watch in your region.
Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.
Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.
Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
John Milius
Written by
John Milius · Kevin Reynolds
Patrick Swayze
Jed
Charlie Sheen
Matt
C. Thomas Howell
Robert
Lea Thompson
Erica
Darren Dalton
Daryl
Jennifer Grey
Toni
Powers Boothe
Andy
Court is in session
Put Red Dawn on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“Speed as an alibi.”
The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.