--- title: "Cliffhanger" year: 1993 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/cliffhanger" fi1m_id: "cliffhanger" imdb_id: "tt0106582" tmdb_id: 9350 wikidata_id: "Q824389" fi1m_score: 74 critics_score: 68 critics_reviews: 12 published: "2026-09-14" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:23.566745+00:00" region: "US" 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." --- # Cliffhanger (1993) Directed by Renny Harlin · 1h 53m · MPA R · Action, Adventure, Thriller ## Identity Cliffhanger - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/cliffhanger - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** cliffhanger - **IMDb ID:** tt0106582 - **TMDB ID:** 9350 - **Wikidata ID:** Q824389 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106582/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9350, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q824389 **Fi1m score: 74** · Critics 68 from 12 reviews *In a sentence:* Sylvester Stallone has more trouble with the dialogue than the climbing > *Cliffhanger* earns its thrills through climbing, height and forceful action, with Sylvester Stallone a solid centre. The dialogue is poor and the noise sometimes excessive, but Renny Harlin makes the mountain danger convincing enough to recommend it. ## Synopsis Gabe Walker (Sylvester Stallone) faces a struggle for survival in the mountains, where climbing and fighting leave little room for error. Hal Tucker (Michael Rooker), Jessie Deighan (Janine Turner) and Qualen (John Lithgow) are among the people caught up in the action. As confrontations unfold on the mountain, the terrain itself adds to the danger of each encounter. Craig Fairbrass plays Delmar and Leon plays Kynette in Renny Harlin’s action thriller, written by Stallone and Michael France. Keeping a grip and finding a foothold become matters of survival. ## Review Renny Harlin’s *Cliffhanger* is a good action thriller whose climbing is considerably more persuasive than its dialogue. It has enough physical suspense to survive some poor writing, though the exchanges between characters are rarely as interesting as their next move across the mountain. Harlin understands the simple appeal of watching someone find a foothold where there appears to be none. He is less reliable when everyone stops to talk. Alex Thomson’s cinematography makes the height matter by allowing us to see the climber against the space around him. The circling view of Stallone on the rock face is especially effective, giving us time to consider how exposed his body is. We felt our stomachs tighten because the shot lets us register how little is holding him there. The photography establishes a danger that needs almost no explanation, and the film is wise to give it such prominence. Sylvester Stallone plays Gabe Walker with the physical conviction this sort of film needs, even when the screenplay gives him little worth saying. Watching him climb, we believe the effort involved, and that is enough to keep us interested in the next move. Michael Rooker, as Hal Tucker, and Janine Turner, as Jessie Deighan, bring a useful directness to parts that could disappear against the scenery. John Lithgow gives Qualen enough relish to make some poor lines enjoyable, though not enough menace to make him the chief source of anxiety. The cave fight gives production designer John Vallone a different problem: keeping close-quarters violence part of the same harsh mountain environment. The surroundings make the fighting feel uncomfortable, while the choreography remains easy to read. Frank J. Urioste’s editing helps us follow the physical struggle without reducing it to disconnected impacts. That clarity is welcome even when Harlin seems more interested in the force of a blow than the person receiving it. Trevor Jones’s music can be too insistent, pressing for excitement when the climbing has already supplied it. A quieter accompaniment would sometimes have given the images more room, particularly when the height alone is enough to make the situation alarming. Harlin’s fondness for force becomes tiring when the fighting, cutting and music all demand attention at once. A few effects also look artificial enough to make the danger briefly easier to dismiss. The screenplay, credited to Stallone and Michael France, is the main reason not to rate the film higher. Too much of the talk sounds borrowed from other action thrillers, and the characters rarely surprise us once they start explaining themselves. An action thriller needs enough personality to make repeated confrontations feel different; *Cliffhanger* too often relies on another burst of violence to do that job. Harlin sustains interest through the variety of the action, but the pauses expose how little the writing has added. At 113 minutes, the film would benefit from shorter stretches between its physical challenges, although Harlin rarely lets us drift far from another one. Those who need an action thriller to be plausible throughout will have more objections than we do, especially when the familiar lines start arriving. If heights are a pleasure when somebody else is dealing with them, this is a good choice. *Fi1m score 74, published 14 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics come down in favour, seven of twelve, and the praise gathers in one place: the mountain footage. The stunt work and the climbing sequences filmed at altitude are what the reviews remember, and Renny Harlin’s staging of the set-pieces is credited more than once as the best work of his career. The opening scene draws admiration, and several critics treat the film as the picture that put Stallone back on his feet. The reservations sit almost entirely with the script. Clichéd dialogue, a weak villain and a plot that strains belief once the action stops turn up in favourable and unfavourable reviews alike. The spread is wide, from warm approval to outright dismissal. The New Yorker finds the early excitement giving way to cheapness and nonsense, the Los Angeles Times objects to the sadistic violence, and both Time Out and The Independent argue the vertical drama never produces vertigo. Later reappraisals are warmer than some notices from 1993. ## Straight answers **Is Cliffhanger worth watching?** *Cliffhanger* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys watching a climber find a foothold where there appears to be none, and we scored it 74. Renny Harlin makes the height and the fighting convincing, and Sylvester Stallone climbs with real effort. The dialogue is poor and the music too insistent, so those who need plausibility throughout will object more than we do. **How long is Cliffhanger, and what is it rated?** *Cliffhanger* runs 1h 53m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is an action and adventure film. **Where can I watch Cliffhanger in the US?** *Cliffhanger* is streaming on Tubi and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Cliffhanger, and is it suitable for children?** *Cliffhanger* carries a UK 15 certificate and is not suitable for children. The violence is forceful and frequent, with a close-quarters cave fight that is uncomfortable to watch, and Harlin is more interested in the impact of a blow than the person receiving it. The climbing itself is alarming enough to trouble anyone who dislikes heights. **How does Cliffhanger compare to The Wages of Fear?** *Cliffhanger* and [*The Wages of Fear*](https://film.one/film/the-wages-of-fear) both build suspense from dangerous work and the smallest physical mistake, but Clouzot's film is the finer of the two. It is patient and quiet, letting a truckload of nitroglycerine do the frightening; Harlin's film piles on fighting, cutting and music at once. Choose *Cliffhanger* for immediate physical thrills, *The Wages of Fear* for slow, hard tension. **What should I watch after Cliffhanger?** After *Cliffhanger*, try [*The Wages of Fear*](https://film.one/film/the-wages-of-fear) (1953, Fi1m 90): Dangerous work, desperate men and suspense built from the smallest physical mistake. Then [*Touching the Void*](https://film.one/film/touching-the-void) (2003, Fi1m 87): Mountain survival stripped of action banter, with every movement carrying a cost; and [*A Hard Day*](https://film.one/film/a-hard-day) (2014, Fi1m 79): A Korean thriller whose escalating physical predicaments have a welcome nasty wit. ### Reviews we read (12) - **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (90/100, inferred): The critic finds the film succeeds spectacularly at generating suspense and cold-sweat thrills through its death-defying action sequences and vertiginous visuals. Dialogue is the main drawback, but the sophistication of the effects and the breathtaking mountain backdrop provide the chief pleasures. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/28/movies/review-film-high-anxiety-amid-the-vistas.html) - **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it an ideal summer popcorn picture that delivers nonstop visceral thrills and vertiginous footage unlike anything seen before. Harlin’s pacing and the convincing verisimilitude of the mountain action sequences are singled out for praise. [Read](https://variety.com/1993/film/reviews/cliffhanger-1200432181/) - **The AV Club**, Nick Schager (85/100, inferred): The critic calls it one of Sylvester Stallone’s finest starring vehicles, with arguably the best opening scene in modern action cinema. They single out the expert staging of suspenseful sequences, the imposing snowcapped setting, sterling stunt work, and Renny Harlin’s direction as the pinnacle of his career. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/stallone-s-mountain-man-fights-terrorists-in-this-peak-1798246799) - **Empire**, Mark Dinning (80/100, inferred): The review praises the tense, vertigo-inducing set-pieces and taut suspense as action filmmaking at its best, calling it a career high for both Harlin and Stallone despite some script clichés. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/cliffhanger-review/) - **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (4/5): High adventure and vertigo blend with blood and bullets to make this tension-packed tall tale a spectacular avalanche of dizzying escapism. Nail-biting stunts and photography that's close to the edge are the true stars of this Rockies-set Die Hard, directed with breathless energy by Renny Harlin. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-hq2xkc/cliffhanger/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (80/100, inferred): The film delivers on its promise of big-budget stunts and special effects as an entertaining action machine, even if the plot strains credibility. Ebert praises the thrilling sequences involving Stallone dangling from cliffs and the work of the stunt performers under Renny Harlin's direction. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/cliffhanger-1993) - **The Independent** (55/100, inferred): The critic finds the special effects state-of-the-art but the script clichéd and predictable, with a vertical drama that fails to induce vertigo on screen. While the varied action sequences keep viewers gripped for most of the runtime, the villain is weak and the story descends into clichés by the end. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-climb-ev-ry-cliche-cliffhanger-15-innocent-blood-15-the-old-lady-who-walked-in-the-sea-18-1494162.html) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (40/100, inferred): The high-flying stunts are state of the art and generate excitement, but the story and dialogue fall flat once the action pauses. Turan singles out the sadistic violence and weak dramatic texture for criticism while noting the impressive Dolomites photography. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-05-28-ca-40628-story.html) - **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (40/100, inferred): The critic concludes that the film fails to sustain its early promise, with excitement quickly giving way to cheapness and airy nonsense. Technical sophistication is acknowledged, but the overall manner is seen as blaring and the story corny. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1993/06/21/on-the-rocks-2) - **Time Out**, GA (40/100, inferred): Director Harlin makes the most of the scenery, but seldom manages to induce a tingling sense of vertigo. Fun for the undemanding, but Stallone's 'comeback' should have been much tighter. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/cliffhanger-1) - **Collider**, Andre Dellamorte (70/100, inferred): The critic finds Cliffhanger the better of two 1993 action films reviewed together and calls it good junk fun with solid choreography. He singles out the practical mountain-climbing sequences, especially a vertigo-inducing circling shot of Stallone, for praise while noting some dated CGI. [Read](https://collider.com/cliffhanger-and-the-last-action-hero-blu-ray-reviews/) - **Den of Geek**, Simon Brew (3/5): The critic has always had time for Cliffhanger as a good, solid action flick and career revival for Stallone. They single out the stunning scenery and ambitious action sequences filmed at altitude, along with the surprising opening scene, as what lifts the film. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/cliffhanger-blu-ray-review/) ## Details - **Director:** Renny Harlin - **Director:** Renny Harlin - **Screenplay:** Michael France, Sylvester Stallone - **Cinematography:** Alex Thomson - **Editor:** Frank J. Urioste - **Music:** Trevor Jones - **Production design:** John Vallone - **Costume design:** Ellen Mirojnick - **Producer:** Renny Harlin, Alan Marshall - **Cast:** Sylvester Stallone as Gabe Walker; John Lithgow as Qualen; Michael Rooker as Hal Tucker; Janine Turner as Jessie Deighan; Rex Linn as Travers; Caroline Goodall as Kristel; Leon Robinson as Kynette; Craig Fairbrass as Delmar - **Runtime:** 1h 53m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 28 May 1993 - **Genres:** Action, Adventure, Thriller - **Budget:** $70 million - **Box office:** $255 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c55DDQT8zDA ## Where to watch in the US - Tubi: free - Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $7.99, uhd *Checked 2026-09-14.* Also available in: AT, BE, CA, CH, DE, DK, ES, FI, GB, IT, JP, NL, NO, NZ, PL, PT, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 1994: Best Sound (nominated); Best Sound Editing (nominated); Best Visual Effects (nominated) ## If you liked this - *The Wages of Fear* (1953), Fi1m 90: Dangerous work, desperate men and suspense built from the smallest physical mistake. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-wages-of-fear.md) - *The Taking of Pelham One Two Three* (1974): Another confined thriller, but this time the dialogue earns its place. - *Runaway Train* (1985): A harsher survival thriller, with weather and machinery making escape painfully difficult. - *Touching the Void* (2003), Fi1m 87: Mountain survival stripped of action banter, with every movement carrying a cost. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/touching-the-void.md) - *A Hard Day* (2014), Fi1m 79: A Korean thriller whose escalating physical predicaments have a welcome nasty wit. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-hard-day.md) --- © 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/cliffhanger