--- title: "The Bourne Supremacy" year: 2004 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-bourne-supremacy" fi1m_id: "the-bourne-supremacy" imdb_id: "tt0372183" tmdb_id: 2502 wikidata_id: "Q156608" fi1m_score: 81 critics_score: 71 critics_reviews: 11 published: "2026-09-15" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:29.151033+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." --- # The Bourne Supremacy (2004) Directed by Paul Greengrass · 1h 48m · MPA PG-13 · Action, Drama, Thriller ## Identity The Bourne Supremacy - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-bourne-supremacy - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-bourne-supremacy - **IMDb ID:** tt0372183 - **TMDB ID:** 2502 - **Wikidata ID:** Q156608 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372183/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/2502, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q156608 **Fi1m score: 81** · Critics 71 from 11 reviews *In a sentence:* Matt Damon looks as though he would like one quiet afternoon, preferably without a camera shaking in his face > Paul Greengrass makes a tense spy thriller with an unusually troubled hero, and Matt Damon gives us reason to worry about him. The restless cutting occasionally obscures the action, but the pursuit holds us. ## Synopsis Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is on the run, trying to piece together his identity while confronting the consequences of his past. His skills offer a way through danger, but they also connect him to the life he is struggling to understand. The pursuit brings espionage, escapes and close combat into a story of a man whose own history gives him little peace. Franka Potente plays Marie Helene Kreutz, Joan Allen is Pamela Landy, and Brian Cox is Ward Abbott, with Julia Stiles as Nicky Parsons. Paul Greengrass directs a screenplay by Tony Gilroy, based on Robert Ludlum’s novel. ## Review *The Bourne Supremacy* is a gripping thriller with one persistent nuisance: it sometimes makes us work too hard to see what is happening. Paul Greengrass gives the pursuit urgency, while Matt Damon gives us a reason to care who gets away. Tony Gilroy’s screenplay ties Bourne’s search for his identity to the consequences of his past. That gives the chases a troubling purpose, even when the details of the plot take more sorting out than they deserve. Damon keeps the performance restrained enough for us to notice the strain. Bourne’s resourcefulness is satisfying to watch, but Damon never seems entirely comfortable inhabiting someone so capable of violence. We felt anxious watching him, because his quiet, guarded performance makes Bourne seem permanently braced for another threat. The physical skill is there, plainly, and the performance leaves us interested in what happens when he has a moment to think about using it. Oliver Wood’s handheld photography makes that unease visible, keeping the image unsettled even when we would appreciate a moment to get our bearings. Editors Christopher Rouse and Richard Pearson cut with a speed that gives pursuit a convincing sense of decisions made under pressure. At its most effective, the technique makes us share Bourne’s need to notice something and act immediately. When we want to follow a movement all the way through, however, another cut can arrive before we have understood the last one. The supporting cast helps keep the film intelligible when its construction threatens to do otherwise. Joan Allen is particularly good as Pamela Landy, bringing a brisk intelligence to scenes that depend on people seeming capable. Brian Cox gives Ward Abbott an authority that needs little emphasis, and Julia Stiles makes Nicky Parsons worth watching without competing for attention. Their performances give the quieter stretches enough interest that we do not simply wait for Damon to start moving again. Dominic Watkins’s production design earns its keep in the hotel escape: we are interested in the space because Bourne has to get out of it. The surroundings feel usable, and the sequence makes practical ingenuity exciting without requiring us to admire the furnishings. We are less persuaded by John Powell’s music when it presses for excitement that the cutting has already supplied. The score contributes to the urgency, though we occasionally wish it would leave the images to do the work. Within the spy thriller, this degree of seriousness can become a burden, and Greengrass occasionally risks it. The film offers little relief from suspicion and pursuit, so its severity can begin to feel dutiful. Yet Bourne’s discomfort with his own past gives the violence consequences beyond the immediate question of who wins. We remain interested in what being good at this has done to him, which is more than the action alone could sustain. At 108 minutes, there is little opportunity for that severity to become exhausting. Damon provides enough human uncertainty to keep the film involving through its busiest passages, and Greengrass makes the danger feel close enough to matter. We recommend it to anyone who likes a pursuit thriller that takes its fugitive seriously. The caveat is practical: if restless camerawork irritates rather than excites, there is a considerable amount of it to tolerate. *Fi1m score 81, published 15 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics welcome The Bourne Supremacy as a forceful sequel, with praise centred on Paul Greengrass’s urgent direction and Matt Damon’s restrained performance. The handheld camerawork and rapid cutting give the action a physical immediacy that many find convincing, while the Moscow car chase draws particular praise for its pace and invention. Damon supplies a grounded presence amid the commotion, and several reviews find emotional weight in Bourne’s efforts to reckon with his past. The disagreement is substantial, chiefly over whether that same restless technique helps or hinders the film. Some broadly favourable reviews find the editing confusing or showy, and opinions differ on how much room the action leaves for emotion. The Hollywood Reporter argues that the shaky camera creates distance from Bourne, despite intelligent performances. Slant Magazine is harsher about the characterisation, finding little psychological depth where admirers see a troubled, sympathetic protagonist. ## Straight answers **Is The Bourne Supremacy worth watching?** *The Bourne Supremacy* is worth watching for anyone who likes a pursuit thriller that takes its fugitive seriously, and we scored it 81. Matt Damon plays Jason Bourne as a man permanently braced for the next threat, which gives the chases a purpose beyond who gets away. The one caveat is the restless handheld camerawork, which some will find irritating rather than exciting. **How long is The Bourne Supremacy, and what is it rated?** *The Bourne Supremacy* runs 1h 48m and is rated PG-13 by the MPA in the US. It is an action and drama film. **Where can I watch The Bourne Supremacy in the US?** *The Bourne Supremacy* is streaming on Starz, Apple TV, The Roku Channel and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $3.99. It leaves The Roku Channel on 1 October. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How does The Bourne Supremacy compare to The Bourne Identity?** *The Bourne Supremacy* is tenser and harsher than [*The Bourne Identity*](https://film.one/film/the-bourne-identity), which is the warmer and steadier of the two. Doug Liman's earlier film has an unexpected tenderness in the scenes between Damon and Franka Potente, though its plotting is occasionally contrived; Paul Greengrass replaces that with urgency and rapid cutting that sometimes obscures the action. Those who want a human story should start with the first; those who want pressure will prefer the second. **Is The Bourne Supremacy based on a true story or a book?** *The Bourne Supremacy* is based on Robert Ludlum's novel of the same name, adapted by screenwriter Tony Gilroy, not on a true story. Our review does not measure how closely the film follows the book, and it does not need to: the film explains what it needs to about Bourne's search for his identity as it goes. Knowing the novel is no requirement for following the pursuit. **Do you need to have seen the other Bourne films before The Bourne Supremacy?** *The Bourne Supremacy* is the second film in the Bourne series and follows on directly, with Jason Bourne already on the run and still trying to piece together who he is. It can be followed on its own, though the plot takes more sorting out than it deserves, and the earlier film supplies the context that makes his unease matter. We would watch [*The Bourne Identity*](https://film.one/film/the-bourne-identity) first. **What should I watch after The Bourne Supremacy?** After *The Bourne Supremacy*, try [*The Fugitive*](https://film.one/film/the-fugitive) (1993, Fi1m 88): Another resourceful fugitive makes pursuit involving through intelligence, fatigue and stubborn decency. Then [*Le Samouraï*](https://film.one/film/le-samourai) (1967, Fi1m 88): A quieter pursuit of a skilled killer, with every movement carefully weighed; and [*Ronin*](https://film.one/film/ronin) (1998, Fi1m 80): For practical expertise, professional suspicion and car chases whose geography stays clear. **What order should I watch the Bourne films in?** Release order is the safe choice for Bourne, and it is the order [our collection page](https://film.one/collections/bourne) lists them in. *The Bourne Supremacy* is number 2 of the 5 Bourne titles on Fi1m; before it comes [*The Bourne Identity*](https://film.one/film/the-bourne-identity) and after it [*The Bourne Ultimatum*](https://film.one/film/the-bourne-ultimatum). [The full order.](https://film.one/collections/bourne.md) ### Reviews we read (14) - **Empire**, William Thomas (85/100, inferred): The film builds on and exceeds the original Bourne Identity, delivering one of the finest big-budget thrillers in years through Greengrass's kinetic direction and Damon's underplayed performance. It mixes visceral action with emotional depth, ending on a quiet, touching note rather than a bang. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/bourne-supremacy-review/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Manohla Dargis (85/100, inferred): The critic commends Greengrass's brilliantly paced and cut direction that captures Bourne's fractured sense of time and space, especially in the exhilarating Moscow car chase, and notes the film's unexpected moral resonance. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jul-23-et-dargis23-story.html) - **Radio Times**, Adam Smith (4/5): Greengrass improves slightly on the original by delivering consistently exciting action without pushing credibility, thanks to his drama-documentary background. Damon impresses as the slick, silent, angry black hole of a Bourne. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-b3ney7/the-bourne-supremacy/) - **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (80/100, inferred): The film steps up the efficiency of the original with dazzling kinetics and style, driven by Damon's relatable performance and a compelling identity quest. Greengrass brings purposeful physicality to the action sequences through jittery handheld cameras and purposeful fast-cutting. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-bourne-supremacy-1798199803) - **The New York Times**, Stephen Holden (80/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as reassuring post-9/11 entertainment comfort food and highlights its high-speed action realism, particularly an extended Moscow car chase, along with strong editing that sustains mood over plot. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/23/movies/film-review-spies-chasing-a-spy-chasing-his-identity.html) - **Screen Daily** (70/100, inferred): Greengrass imposes a relentless pace that makes a virtue out of plot confusion and delivers visceral thrills in chase sequences, especially the Moscow demolition derby. The documentary-style camerawork gives the film a distinctive feel, though the emphasis on action leaves little room for humour or emotion. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/the-bourne-supremacy/4019446.article) - **Total Film** (70/100, inferred): Greengrass has made a much darker, murkier sequel that explores the human consequences of Bourne's past, with strong turns from the cast including Damon. However, it slows the pacing, features fewer satisfying action sequences and invites comparisons to the superior first film. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-bourne-supremacy-review/) - **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film an erratic but worthy sequel, praising Damon's signature performance and the atmospheric locations while noting that the hyperventilated editing can be confusing and overly showy at times. [Read](https://variety.com/2004/film/markets-festivals/the-bourne-supremacy-1200532158/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Michael Rechtshaffen (40/100, inferred): The review finds the handheld shaky-cam approach creates an undesired distance between viewer and protagonist, rendering the film chilly and distant despite smartly choreographed moments. Performances by Damon, Allen, Cox and Stiles are praised as sturdy and intelligent. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/bourne-supremacy-review-movie-2004-1226119/) - **Slant Magazine** (35/100, inferred): Greengrass replicates the first film's technical elements but fails to renew its indie idiosyncrasy or add psychological depth, resulting in a chilly film without dimensionality or sensuality. The central conflict with Bourne's guilty conscience sucks the air out of the picture. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-bourne-supremacy/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert: The critic praises Matt Damon's grounded performance as Bourne and the inventive action sequences that highlight the character's resourcefulness. Greengrass's serious treatment and strong supporting cast elevate the film above standard genre fare. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-bourne-supremacy-2004) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw: The critic finds the film a wildly hectic and stroboscopically edited espionage thriller delivering deafening bangs for the buck. It is raucously and entertainingly put together, with Matt Damon effective as the paranoid super-freak on the run. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/aug/13/3) - **Time Out**, MS: Greengrass proves adept at action in his Hollywood debut, building on the original with feverish handheld camerawork and frenetic editing that lend urgency and ferocious realism. The result is a relentlessly paced, non-stop chase movie with a singular killing machine we can feel for. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-bourne-supremacy) - **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (4.5/5): The critic praises the film's intelligent plot requiring knowledge of the original, flawless performances especially from Damon, Allen, and Cox, and Greengrass's energetic and precise direction, highlighting the sensational Moscow car chase. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-bourne-supremacy-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) ## Details - **Director:** Paul Greengrass - **Director:** Paul Greengrass - **Screenplay:** Tony Gilroy - **Novel:** Robert Ludlum - **Cinematography:** Oliver Wood - **Editor:** Christopher Rouse, Richard Pearson - **Music:** John Powell - **Production design:** Dominic Watkins - **Costume design:** Dinah Collin - **Producer:** Paul Sandberg, Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley - **Cast:** Matt Damon as Jason Bourne; Franka Potente as Marie Helene Kreutz; Brian Cox as Ward Abbott; Julia Stiles as Nicky Parsons; Karl Urban as Kirill; Gabriel Mann as Danny Zorn; Joan Allen as Pamela Landy; Marton Csokas as Jarda - **Runtime:** 1h 48m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 23 July 2004 - **Genres:** Action, Drama, Thriller - **Part of:** [Bourne](https://film.one/collections/bourne.md) · 2 of 5 - **Budget:** $75 million - **Box office:** $289 million ## Where to watch in the US - Starz: streaming - Apple TV: add-on, hd - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd, leaving 2026-10-01 - Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd *Checked 2026-09-15.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TH, TR, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *The Fugitive* (1993), Fi1m 88: Another resourceful fugitive makes pursuit involving through intelligence, fatigue and stubborn decency. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-fugitive.md) - *Le Samouraï* (1967), Fi1m 88: A quieter pursuit of a skilled killer, with every movement carefully weighed. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/le-samourai.md) - *Ronin* (1998), Fi1m 80: For practical expertise, professional suspicion and car chases whose geography stays clear. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ronin.md) - *A History of Violence* (2005), Fi1m 88: For another troubling examination of violent skills and the past they bring home. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-history-of-violence.md) - *The Lives of Others* (2006), Fi1m 84: Surveillance becomes personal in a patient thriller about professional obedience and conscience. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others.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/the-bourne-supremacy