Black Hawk Down
Directed by Ridley Scott
The story of one hundred and sixty elite U.S. soldiers who dropped into Mogadishu in October 1993 to capture two top lieutenants of a renegade warlord, but found themselves in a desperate battle with a large force of heavily armed Somalis.
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Black Hawk Down Ratings & Reviews
- nachopapaApril 5, 2026Damn this was depressing... Still an insanely good movie with great practical effects and incredible acting.
- 0 1April 4, 2026While the film juxtaposes the chaos of urban combat, and civil war with the beautiful coastlines of mogadishu, it doesn't follow the book closely. Obviously, movies have less time to tell a story. I remember an early scene which was memorable. Private Blackburn was a new arrival to Somalia says "It wouldn't be a bad spot for a vacation, how's the water?" And pilot responds, "It's full of sharks". That brief dialogue sets the tone for the rest of the movie. I couldn't stand Josh Hartnett's character: to dull. the script early in the film seemed like a hollywood trope. However, It got a lot better through the movie. The cinematography was excellent. The film portrays the intelligence as somewhat reliable. However, Mark Bowden's book highlights the unreliability of HUMINT in a clan based society. Many of the paid informants were playing both sides. providing only enough information to get paid without truly betraying their clans. The movie is bit biased in who it assigns blame for why the operation failed. Doesn't explore all the strategies that could have been used. In the Book, Bowden explains how the Green Berets training was better suited for the mission because they focused on local context, but they were replaced by Task Force Ranger. Mark Bowden compares how the tactics of the Delta/Ranger Raids differed from the Green Berets who launched missions during the mornings to avoid the stimulant drugged out militia members were often more effective. Lastly, the movie never mentions that a bi-partisan congress was considering pulling out funding for the Somalian peacekeeping mission through appropriation committees. The movie portrays the mission as a sudden disaster, but the book explains that the SNA had been "practicing" for weeks, observing the Rangers' flight paths and timing how long it took for the "chalks" to set up perimeters. There's a scene where the rangers that were left behind run back to the base. "The Mogadishu Mile" was in the book.
- ርልዪረFebruary 3, 2025Some films are to Hollywood what a good tip is to the dealer in a card game. Known as the ‘Croupier’s Chip’ - it is traditionally given by the winner to the dealer at the end of the game... In terms of Dramatic Films in the past three decades ‘Black Hawk Down’ is to the Action Drama what ‘As Good As It Gets’ is to comedy. It’s going to take a long time to better it. The success behind it is the judgment of Ridley Scott. And his timing in making the film. Made in the same year as 9/11; it didn’t hit the cinemas worldwide en masse until a few months after. It was also made a full two years before Saddam Hussein was removed from power in Iraq. It is a testamental warning to strategists on intervention. When to intervene and whether you have the judgement at all to do so. Nobody would disagree that Bill Clinton did absolutely the right thing. And nobody will doubt it is the last time international powers will ever care to intervene within an African Union state ever again (militarily speaking). The cast Ridley Scott put together as an ensemble is incredibly well judged. So well judged that sadly; no one actor was singled out for any major awards. And as of 2021 Ridley Scott has almost equalled Martin Scorsese’s regard for most Academy Award Nominations for Best Director, without a win. Scorsese had been nominated five times before picking up the award. Ridley Scott is now up to four nominations without a nod. And we are up to sadly what he should have won for... this film. So he’s left open to the same comments as Scorsese; that any win achieved is as a result of the guilt of neglect of recognition by the Academy. Then there are the vested interests of politicians such as Barack Obama in East Africa and Iraq. When you compare his record on pure humanitarian grounds; there is no comparison to Bill Clinton whose judgement was sharp and clear and often embarrassed the UN with his sense of decency. This film reflects a noble but failed attempt. And it pulls no punches but has no bias whatever. And it keeps you watching for full information. The world was after all left with the bombing of the WTC building in Kenya in 1994. And Clinton was not going to keep ignoring the warning signals no matter how he was blackmailed over his personal life and Flowers and Lewinsky’s public testimony. He certainly did not pursue the Obama track on foreign policy in Africa and the Middle East which appeared to be a campaign of cringeworthy squirming on whether people will associate foreign policy with sexuality globally. The ‘Not in our name’ complex which seemed more about humouring warlords on the defence of marriage than saving lives. Clinton had to face Obama from the mid-90s as an enemy within. And the subtle themes which you find in ‘Black Hawk Down’ show it for all its worth. The ensemble is the ensemble and I pick no actor out. Because they almost bring the dead back alive to tell their own story. The G7 of countries will now never come to the aid of any society which shows its intervening humanitarian forces being dismembered with rocks, stones and clubs inside a downed helicopter. Ridley’s audience is still waiting for him to pick up the award. But regardless; he is one of Tyneside’s finest. And he has with Hollywood whilst maintaining the best of classicism effortlessly.
- NumiSeptember 11, 2025Watching Black Hawk Down felt like being dropped into the chaos of Mogadishu with no warning and no way out. It’s not a movie that holds your hand—it throws you into the firefight and dares you to keep up. Ridley Scott’s direction is relentless, gritty, and visually stunning, and while the film doesn’t spend much time developing individual characters, that almost feels intentional. It’s not about one hero—it’s about the collective experience of soldiers caught in a mission gone sideways. The sound design alone had my heart racing, and the cinematography made the dust and desperation feel suffocating. It’s brutal, it’s exhausting, and it’s unforgettable. Based on my own reaction and the general consensus from critics and fans alike, I’d give it a 4.7 out of 5—not because it’s flawless, but because it captures the raw intensity of combat like few films ever have
- Oʂɯαʅԃσ RσყҽƚƚMarch 1, 2026Unlike most of the war movies of our time, Black Hawk Down sticks to the facts about what happened in Mogadishu and doesn't romanticize the story. To support this observation, the viewer will notice that there is not really one main character. This shows that the film focuses more on what happened in Somalia instead of on the characters personality and/or struggles.
- Coco Louise Sassafras BojanglesApril 16, 2025This is a must watch!
- kaiserjtFebruary 16, 2025Almost certainly the best war movie of this century.
- Patrick MorrisonFebruary 8, 2026One of the greatest war movies of all time. Fantastic cast .
- Roderick Vaughn BridgesJanuary 25, 2026A great all-around military movie, what's great sound effects from the helicopters and all the shooting.
- Eric OldenburgJanuary 14, 2026Excellent movie!
- BillDecember 21, 2025Classic war film. Great cast and screenplay.
- plexideanOctober 31, 2025It's a classic.
- flavo43November 30, 2025Black Hawk Down is one of the most intense and unflinching modern war films ever made, a docudrama that plunges the viewer straight into the chaos of the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu. Ridley Scott’s direction is masterful, capturing the deafening noise, disorienting confusion, and raw brutality of urban combat with relentless realism. The film doesn’t shy away from the blood, fear, or desperation that defined those harrowing hours, immersing you in the narrow streets and hostile rooftops alongside the soldiers fighting to survive. Its ensemble cast delivers grounded, human performances that highlight the brotherhood, courage, and vulnerability of the men involved. There’s no glamorization here—just the stark portrayal of a mission gone wrong and the extraordinary efforts to rescue those trapped. By the end, you’re left reflecting on the cost of war and the meaning of sacrifice. Whether the mission was worth it becomes secondary; to each soldier, the worth lies in protecting the comrade beside him.
- Pepe CheeriosNovember 21, 2025Remember watching this as kid and playing the black hawk down video game too. I rewatch it here and there. Classic.
- PatrikStarOctober 2, 2025War fcking sucks
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Black Hawk Down Trivia
Black Hawk Down was released on December 28, 2001.
Black Hawk Down was directed by Ridley Scott.
Black Hawk Down has a runtime of 2h 25m.
Black Hawk Down was produced by Ridley Scott, Jerry Bruckheimer.
The story of one hundred and sixty elite U.S. soldiers who dropped into Mogadishu in October 1993 to capture two top lieutenants of a renegade warlord, but found themselves in a desperate battle with a large force of heavily armed Somalis.
The key characters in Black Hawk Down are SSG Matthew Eversmann (Josh Hartnett), SFC Norm 'Hoot' Gibson (Eric Bana), SPC John Grimes (Ewan McGregor).
Black Hawk Down is rated R.
Black Hawk Down is an Action, History, War film.
Black Hawk Down has an audience rating of 8.8 out of 10.
Black Hawk Down had a budget of $92M.
Black Hawk Down has made $173M at the box office.