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The Hunt for Red October

Play trailer Poster for The Hunt for Red October PG 1990 2h 15m Mystery & Thriller Action Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
88% Tomatometer 76 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Based on the popular Tom Clancy novel, this suspenseful movie tracks Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius as he abandons his orders and heads for the east coast of the United States. Equipped with innovative stealth technology, Ramius' submarine, "Red October," is virtually invisible. However, when an American sub briefly detects the Russians' presence, CIA agent Jack Ryan sets out to determine Ramius' motives, fearing he may launch an attack on the U.S.
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The Hunt for Red October

The Hunt for Red October

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Critics Consensus

Perfectly cast and packed with suspense, The Hunt for Red October is an old-fashioned submarine thriller with plenty of firepower to spare.

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Critics Reviews

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Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune 02/11/2015
3.5/4
Clancy is known for writing difficult books, but the movie makes plausible a preposterous situation because of Baldwin's convincing, low-key approach to being a film hero. Go to Full Review Sheila Benson Los Angeles Times 02/11/2015
You may not be limp from accumulated tension when this hunt is over, but its cautiously upbeat global message leaves a satisfying glow and it operates with a crackerjack premise. Go to Full Review John Hartl Seattle Times 02/11/2015
3/4
An exciting techno-suspense thriller with a hollow center. Go to Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews 06/22/2023
2.5/4
...a consistently watchable yet erratically-paced drama... Go to Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) 11/12/2022
It's a tad obsolete, but that does not impede it from being tremendously dynamic and entertaining. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia 08/25/2022
7/10
As an espionage thriller, I must say, it has a tension that runs against the clock like a torpedo under the sea as it outlines its plot of diplomacy and naval strategy in the twilight of the Cold War. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Farah R @Farah 1d This well-acted spy thriller is suspenseful but very boring. The narrative is hard to follow and, as the scenes became repetitive, my mind kept wandering. I see why it’s widely considered a classic, but the slow tension and heavy technical dialogue requires lots of patience. See more Romas M @Romas 3d Greetings from Lithuania. "The Hunt for Red October" (1990) is an excellent submarine movie. It is a Jack Ryan movie but for me this installment was never about him - it is a submarine movie trough and trough, and one of the best one. The cast was exceptional bunch of starts and great character actors: Sean Connery (in one of his best roles), Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Sam Neill, Stellan Skarsgård - this is a brilliantly staged, acted and directed movie. Editing was top notch. Sound design was and still is incredible, you really get the sense being in a submarine (of course watching movie on good home theater sound system). It is superbly paced movie - at running time 2 h 15 min it never draggs and is involving from start till finish. Writing was great, smart and believable. Overall, "The Hunt for Red October" is one one of the 3 - 4 films that John McTiernan has ever directed. This is a tense, smart, involving and amazingly crafter thriller that keep one engaged. Great movie. See more Gabriel K @GabeKnowMovies Jul 10 Very good writing and plot! Though, it can be a bit confusing at times. See more G W @Tonopah Jun 20 Very, very good movie. Great cast and amazing music. Much of the naval dialogue is accurate. Enough plot twists to be interesting, not so many that it gets confusing. Very, very good movie. See more Jaycen D. @JDtheGoat Jun 13 It’s enjoyable, not the greatest movie but it’s still good/interesting. See more Roy B. @royinkspot Jun 2 It can't show you all the moving parts of a Clancy blockbuster but any one of those parts does make a good film. Hit rewind. See more Read all reviews
The Hunt for Red October

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Cast & Crew

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John McTiernan

Director

Sean Connery

Captain Marko Ramius

Alec Baldwin

Jack Ryan

Scott Glenn

Captain Bart Mancuso

Sam Neill

Captain Vasily Borodin

James Earl Jones

Admiral James Greer

Movie Clips

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The Hunt for Red October

The Hunt for Red October: Official Clip - A Little Revolution The Hunt for Red October: Official Clip - A Little Revolution 1:46 The Hunt for Red October: Official Clip - You Speak Russian The Hunt for Red October: Official Clip - You Speak Russian 2:13 The Hunt for Red October: Official Clip - Wrong Conclusions The Hunt for Red October: Official Clip - Wrong Conclusions 2:13 The Hunt for Red October: Official Clip - Turbulence The Hunt for Red October: Official Clip - Turbulence 0:38 The Hunt for Red October: Official Clip - Ryan's Plan The Hunt for Red October: Official Clip - Ryan's Plan 2:12 The Hunt for Red October: Official Clip - You've Killed Us The Hunt for Red October: Official Clip - You've Killed Us 2:13 The Hunt for Red October: Official Clip - Living in America The Hunt for Red October: Official Clip - Living in America 1:00 The Hunt for Red October: Official Clip - Escaping Torpedoes The Hunt for Red October: Official Clip - Escaping Torpedoes 2:11 The Hunt for Red October: Official Clip - Another Possibility The Hunt for Red October: Official Clip - Another Possibility 1:23 View more videos

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The Hunt for Red October

The Hunt for Red October (1990) The Hunt for Red October (1990) The Hunt for Red October (1990) The Hunt for Red October (1990) The Hunt for Red October (1990) The Hunt for Red October (1990) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Based on the popular Tom Clancy novel, this suspenseful movie tracks Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius as he abandons his orders and heads for the east coast of the United States. Equipped with innovative stealth technology, Ramius' submarine, "Red October," is virtually invisible. However, when an American sub briefly detects the Russians' presence, CIA agent Jack Ryan sets out to determine Ramius' motives, fearing he may launch an attack on the U.S.
Director
John McTiernan
Producer
Mace Neufeld
Screenwriter
Larry Ferguson, Donald Stewart, John Milius
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures
Rating
PG
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Action, Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 2, 1990, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 21, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA)
$119.1M
Runtime
2h 15m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)