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Cliffhanger

Cliffhanger

Action · Adventure · Thriller · 1993

A year after losing his friend in a tragic 4,000-foot fall, former ranger Gabe Walker and his partner, Hal, are called to return to the same peak to rescue a group of stranded climbers, only to learn the climbers are actually thieving hijackers who are looking for boxes full of money.

Movie details

Cliffhanger

“Hang on.”

1993 Action · Adventure · Thriller 1h 53m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.5 / 10

Community rating

A year after losing his friend in a tragic 4,000-foot fall, former ranger Gabe Walker and his partner, Hal, are called to return to the same peak to rescue a group of stranded climbers, only to learn the climbers are actually thieving hijackers who are looking for boxes full of money.

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 Cliffhanger?

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.

Toy Soldiers

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Passenger 57

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Action · 1992

Airline security specialist John Cutter, finally returning to the job after his wife's death, finds himself stuck on a flight being hijacked by notorious terrorist Charles Rane. Unfortunately for the terrorists, they're also stuck with him.

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Trapped near the summit of K2, the world's second-highest mountain, Annie Garrett radios to base camp for help. Brother Peter hears Annie's message and assembles a team to save her and her group before they succumb to K2's unforgiving elements. But, as Annie lays injured in an icy cavern, the rescuers face several terrifying events that could end the rescue attempt -- and their lives.

A Lonely Place to Die

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Best of the Best 4: Without Warning

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White Sands

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Crime · 1992

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Triple Frontier

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Action · 2019

Struggling to make ends meet, former special ops soldiers reunite for a high-stakes heist: stealing $75 million from a South American drug lord.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Renny Harlin

Written by

Sylvester Stallone · Michael France

Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone

Gabe Walker

John Lithgow

John Lithgow

Qualen

Michael Rooker

Michael Rooker

Hal Tucker

Janine Turner

Janine Turner

Jessie Deighan

Rex Linn

Rex Linn

Travers

Caroline Goodall

Caroline Goodall

Kristel

Leon

Leon

Kynette

Court is in session

Put Cliffhanger 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.