--- title: "Backdraft" year: 1991 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/backdraft" fi1m_id: "backdraft" imdb_id: "tt0101393" tmdb_id: 2924 wikidata_id: "Q499371" fi1m_score: 62 critics_score: 57 critics_reviews: 7 published: "2026-10-04T21:45:07.420699+00:00" updated: "2026-10-04T21:45:39.625311+00:00" region: "ES" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Backdraft (1991) Directed by Ron Howard · 2h 17m · ICAA 16 · Drama, Thriller, Action, Crime ## Identity Backdraft - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/backdraft - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** backdraft - **IMDb ID:** tt0101393 - **TMDB ID:** 2924 - **Wikidata ID:** Q499371 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101393/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/2924, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q499371 **Fi1m score: 62** · Critics 57 from 7 reviews *In a sentence:* The fires are terrifying; the conversations allow plenty of time to recover > Ron Howard makes the fires frightening enough to justify some patience with *Backdraft*. The thin characters and overworked melodrama demand rather more of it than a 137-minute action thriller should. ## Synopsis A closed door can hide a fire starved of oxygen. Opening it can unleash an explosion, creating another danger for the firefighters attempting to tackle the blaze. Stephen McCaffrey (Kurt Russell), Brian McCaffrey (William Baldwin) and Donald Rimgale (Robert De Niro) are at the centre of a story of firefighting, crime and personal conflict. The work demands co-operation under pressure, while disagreements complicate the business of confronting an unpredictable fire. Beyond the immediate threat of the flames, there is also the possibility that a fire conceals a secret. ## Review Ron Howard’s *Backdraft* is a decent choice for anyone interested in firefighting, provided a long stretch of conventional drama sounds an acceptable price. It wants to honour the people who go towards a fire and make their personal troubles matter just as much as their work. That is a reasonable ambition for an action thriller, and the respect comes through. Gregory Widen’s screenplay struggles to find enough convincing things for these people to say between emergencies. Mikael Salomon’s cinematography is the strongest reason to persist. The fires have an unpredictable movement that makes it difficult to settle comfortably into watching the action, even when the surrounding drama has made its intentions obvious. We were frightened by the factory fire, because the spread of the flames makes the effort to control them look horribly precarious. The spectacle works because we believe that the people confronting it might be overwhelmed, however capable they appear or however firmly the film encourages us to admire them. Albert Brenner’s production design gives those fires a convincing physical setting. The factory registers as a workplace becoming dangerous, and that helps the action hold our attention beyond the immediate excitement of an explosion. There is something absorbing about watching people attempt a difficult job under conditions that can change without warning. The film is patient enough to let us appreciate the work, though it becomes less persuasive when it turns from that work to the firefighters’ personal troubles. Kurt Russell gives Stephen McCaffrey the force the material needs, though force cannot do all the work of characterisation. William Baldwin’s Brian McCaffrey is less compelling, and the screenplay does too little to make us care about him when there is no immediate danger. The presence of Robert De Niro as Donald Rimgale raises expectations that the writing does not consistently meet. There are good actors here, but too often the film expects their presence to make ordinary dramatic exchanges feel consequential without giving them much help. Hans Zimmer’s music adds to the pressure to take the personal drama seriously, and we could have done with less encouragement. The score suits the scale of the danger better than the thinner passages of character writing. Mike Hill and Daniel P. Hanley keep the firefighting sequences urgent, but their editing cannot make the film’s competing interests fit comfortably together. The trouble accumulates as the film goes on: another stretch of melodrama arrives, and we find ourselves waiting for the firefighters to get back to work. A thriller can survive simple characters if it moves briskly enough. At 137 minutes, this one gives us too much time to notice how little there is to know about its people. Still, its respect for firefighters is welcome, and the fire sequences are frightening enough to explain the attraction. We would pass if a tightly plotted crime story is the priority. Choose it for the firefighting, with patience for the long conversations between emergencies. *Fi1m score 62, published 4 October 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews lean towards a mixed verdict on Backdraft, with praise clustering around the fire effects rather than the people caught among them. Across the available commentary, the firefighting scenes are repeatedly described as thrilling, convincing and unpredictable. Even the less favourable reviews find substantial visual excitement here. The central reservation is that the surrounding drama struggles to match those sequences, relying on familiar plotting and heavy melodrama. The spread is appreciable: some critics find the spectacle enough to sustain an entertaining film, while others find the storytelling too weak to overlook. Radio Times offers the clearest endorsement, crediting Howard with managing the sprawling story despite its lack of originality. At the less favourable end, the Los Angeles Times finds the characters thin and the cast underused. The disagreement centres on how much dramatic weakness the fire scenes can compensate for. ## Straight answers **Is Backdraft worth watching?** *Backdraft* is worth considering for its frightening firefighting sequences, but its thin characters and overworked melodrama keep our score at 62. We recommend it chiefly to anyone interested in the work of firefighters who can tolerate long conversations between emergencies; at 137 minutes, it is not a brisk crime thriller. **How long is Backdraft, and what is it rated?** *Backdraft* runs 2h 17m and is rated 16 by the ICAA in Spain. It is a drama and thriller film. **Where can I watch Backdraft in Spain?** *Backdraft* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from €3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Backdraft, and is it suitable for children?** *Backdraft* has a UK 15 certificate and frightening fire sequences, making it unsuitable for children under 15. We find the factory fire particularly unsettling because the spreading flames make the firefighters’ efforts look precarious; teenagers old enough for the certificate still need a tolerance for sustained danger. **How does Backdraft compare to The Towering Inferno?** *Backdraft* offers firefighting, crime and personal conflict, while [*The Towering Inferno*](https://film.one/film/the-towering-inferno) stages a larger emergency with a sprawling cast. We favour *The Towering Inferno* for large-scale disaster spectacle, though its 165-minute running time requires more patience. Both make the flames more compelling than the people, but *Backdraft* particularly suits an interest in firefighters at work. **What should I watch after Backdraft?** After *Backdraft*, try [*The Towering Inferno*](https://film.one/film/the-towering-inferno) (1974, Fi1m 68): More firefighting spectacle, with a sprawling cast and an even larger emergency. Then [*The Wages of Fear*](https://film.one/film/the-wages-of-fear) (1953, Fi1m 90): Dangerous work becomes almost unbearable suspense, with less room for comforting speeches. ### Reviews we read (7) - **Radio Times**, John Ferguson (4/5): Ferguson considers the film a sturdy, accomplished mainstream hit despite its unoriginal plot. He praises Howard’s skillful handling of the sprawling story and the exhilarating fire footage. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-fwsqau/backdraft/) - **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (64/100, inferred): The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No praise or complaint can be verified from the page text provided. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/24/movies/review-film-backdraft-firefighting-spectacular.html) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (2.5/4): Ebert finds the film an uneven but entertaining tribute to firefighters. He praises its fiery spectacle, while faulting the melodrama for competing with the firefighting story. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/backdraft-1991) - **Time Out**, CM (61/100, inferred): The accessible page identifies this as a review, but its verdict is not visible. The standfirst criticizes the screenplay’s football-team analogy for firefighting. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/backdraft) - **Empire**, Angie Errigo (55/100, inferred): Errigo finds the drama hokey but says the film remains entertaining. She singles out the spectacular fire effects as its main attraction. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/backdraft-review/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (40/100, inferred): Turan finds the film visually thrilling but dramatically conventional and emotionally unconvincing. He especially praises the spectacular, unpredictable fire effects, while criticizing the thin characterization and underused cast. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-05-24-ca-2302-story.html) - **Variety**, Variety Staff (40/100, inferred): The review finds the film visually exhilarating but shapeless and weighed down by corny melodrama. It praises the fire scenes for their terrifying believability and sci-fi grandeur. [Read](https://variety.com/1990/film/reviews/backdraft-1200429003/) ## Details - **Director:** Ron Howard - **Director:** Ron Howard - **Writer:** Gregory Widen - **Cinematography:** Mikael Salomon - **Editor:** Mike Hill, Daniel P. Hanley - **Music:** Hans Zimmer - **Production design:** Albert Brenner - **Costume design:** Jodie Lynn Tillen - **Producer:** Richard B. Lewis, Pen Densham, John Watson - **Cast:** Kurt Russell as Stephen McCaffrey; William Baldwin as Brian McCaffrey; Robert De Niro as Donald Rimgale; Donald Sutherland as Ronald Bartel; Jennifer Jason Leigh as Jennifer Vaitkus; Scott Glenn as John 'Axe' Adcox; Rebecca De Mornay as Helen McCaffrey; Jason Gedrick as Tim Kirzminski - **Runtime:** 2h 17m - **Certificate (ICAA):** 16 - **Release (Spain):** 4 October 1991 - **Genres:** Drama, Thriller, Action, Crime - **Budget:** $75 million - **Box office:** $152 million ## Where to watch in Spain - Amazon Prime Video: rent €3.99, uhd - Apple TV: rent €3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy €5.99, sd - Apple TV: buy €5.99, sd *Checked 2026-10-04.* Also available in: AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, HR, HU, IE, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 1992: Best Sound (nominated); Best Sound Editing (nominated); Best Visual Effects (nominated) ## If you liked this - *The Towering Inferno* (1974), Fi1m 68: More firefighting spectacle, with a sprawling cast and an even larger emergency. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-towering-inferno.md) - *The Wages of Fear* (1953), Fi1m 90: Dangerous work becomes almost unbearable suspense, with less room for comforting speeches. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-wages-of-fear.md) - *Only the Brave* (2017): A closer interest in the people doing the dangerous work between emergencies. - *The Firemen's Ball* (1967): For a shorter, much less reverent evening in the company of firefighters. - *The Bravest* (2019): Another earnest firefighting spectacle, equally comfortable with vast flames and forceful sentiment. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/backdraft