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Sudden Death

Sudden Death

Action · Drama · Thriller · 1995

When a man's daughter is suddenly taken during a championship hockey game – with the captors demanding a billion dollars by game's end – he frantically sets a plan in motion to rescue her and abort an impending explosion before the final buzzer.

Movie details

Sudden Death

“Terror goes into overtime.”

1995 Action · Drama · Thriller 1h 51m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.0 / 10

Community rating

When a man's daughter is suddenly taken during a championship hockey game – with the captors demanding a billion dollars by game's end – he frantically sets a plan in motion to rescue her and abort an impending explosion before the final buzzer.

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 Sudden Death?

The 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.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Peter Hyams

Written by

Gene Quintano · Karen Elise Baldwin

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Darren Francis Thomas McCord

Powers Boothe

Powers Boothe

Joshua Foss

Raymond J. Barry

Raymond J. Barry

Vice President Daniel Bender

Whittni Wright

Whittni Wright

Emily McCord

Ross Malinger

Ross Malinger

Tyler McCord

Dorian Harewood

Dorian Harewood

Matthew Hallmark

Kate McNeil

Kate McNeil

Kathi

Court is in session

Put Sudden Death on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

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.

The prosecution The Auteur Devotee

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.