---
title: "The Fugitive"
year: 1993
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-fugitive"
fi1m_id: "the-fugitive"
imdb_id: "tt0106977"
tmdb_id: 5503
wikidata_id: "Q156309"
fi1m_score: 88
critics_score: 79
critics_reviews: 8
published: "2026-09-14"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:16.525149+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 Fugitive (1993)

Directed by Andrew Davis · 2h 11m · MPA PG-13 · Action, Thriller, Drama

## Identity

The Fugitive

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-fugitive
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-fugitive
- **IMDb ID:** tt0106977
- **TMDB ID:** 5503
- **Wikidata ID:** Q156309
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106977/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/5503, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q156309

**Fi1m score: 88** · Critics 79 from 8 reviews

*In a sentence:* Harrison Ford runs for his life while Tommy Lee Jones makes catching him look like a perfectly reasonable day’s work

> Andrew Davis makes an unusually satisfying chase thriller, with Harrison Ford supplying the worry and Tommy Lee Jones the dry humour. Some of the action strains belief, but the pursuit remains absorbing.

## Synopsis

Surgeon Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) is wrongly convicted of murdering his wife, Helen (Sela Ward). He insists that a one-armed man is responsible. On the run, he tries to find the killer while Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones), the marshal pursuing him, works to bring him back into custody. Kimble needs to prove what happened; Gerard needs to catch the man who has escaped. Andrew Davis directs a chase thriller in which the search for evidence must compete with the immediate business of staying free.

## Review

*The Fugitive* takes a familiar thriller problem seriously: how does a man keep thinking when he has to keep running? Andrew Davis gives the pursuit pace without making either of its central figures seem foolish, and the result is a thoroughly satisfying evening’s suspense. Harrison Ford’s Richard Kimble, a surgeon wrongly convicted of his wife’s murder, has a reason to run that needs no embellishment. Tommy Lee Jones’s Samuel Gerard has a job to do, and the film understands how interesting it can be to watch someone do it well.

Ford is particularly good at making thought look like effort. Kimble never seems to have stepped outside his predicament to admire his own ingenuity, and the physical strain stops his intelligence from becoming a convenient scriptwriter’s gift. The grief matters, too: Ford gives the chase a subdued unhappiness that survives all the running. We keep wanting him to have a moment to recover, even though stopping is scarcely an option.

Jones gives Gerard the briskness of a man who regards drama as something other people bring to work. His humour comes from impatience and exactness, and Davis lets it relieve the tension without making the danger look silly. Gerard’s confidence also gives Ford something useful to resist: being pursued by this man makes staying free seem an achievement. There is enough personality in Jones’s delivery to keep the procedural business lively without requiring the film to stop for a joke.

We flinched at the train crash. Michael Chapman’s cinematography makes the machinery feel heavy and the human body exposed, so the spectacle produces alarm before admiration. J. Dennis Washington’s production design keeps the surroundings solid and functional, which helps this extravagant action belong to the same film as the quieter business of pursuit. The sequence works because Kimble remains the person we are looking for amid the destruction.

Dennis Virkler, Dov Hoenig, Dean Goodhill, David Finfer, Don Brochu and Richard Nord share the editing credit. The cutting sustains the pressure without treating every pause as a mistake, allowing a look or a clipped exchange to register before moving on. James Newton Howard’s score reinforces the urgency, but occasionally insists on an excitement the actors and images have already supplied. That is a small irritation in a film whose pace is otherwise so well judged.

David Twohy and Jeb Stuart’s screenplay gives both men enough intelligence to make their contest worth following. It is less persuasive when Kimble’s continued escape depends on surviving action that grows harder to credit. We can accept an exceptional escape, but Davis keeps asking for indulgence after the characters have done enough to secure our interest. A little less spectacle would have made the pursuit more credible.

For a chase thriller, this has an unusually convincing respect for competence: we can enjoy Gerard’s work without wanting Kimble caught. Its treatment of wrongful conviction is too brisk to bear much scrutiny, but the immediate injustice is enough to make us care. At 131 minutes, Davis allows the contest room to develop without letting it settle down. Give it an evening when everyone agrees to leave their questions about survival until afterwards.

*Fi1m score 88, published 14 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics greet The Fugitive as an intelligent, tightly paced thriller, with praise clustering around Andrew Davis’s direction and the pairing of Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The reviews credit Davis with sustaining suspense through large action sequences, particularly the train crash, without losing the wit or clarity of the chase. Ford’s performance earns broad approval, while Jones’s wisecracking marshal often attracts the stronger notices. Several critics also praise the screenplay’s economy and crisp dialogue.

The reservations concern formula and plausibility, though the spread runs from strong enthusiasm to one distinctly mixed assessment. Time Out finds the chase glossy and formulaic, while still admiring Jones and Ford’s handling of the physical demands. The Independent dissents more sharply, dismissing the story as silly and objecting to its treatment of the legal system. Even that review finds vitality in Jones, making his performance the clearest point of agreement across the divide.

## Straight answers

**Is The Fugitive worth watching?**

*The Fugitive* is worth watching for anyone who wants a chase thriller that takes both the hunted man and his pursuer seriously, and we scored it 88. Harrison Ford supplies the worry and Tommy Lee Jones the dry humour, and Andrew Davis keeps the pursuit absorbing. Some of the action strains belief, so leave the survival questions until afterwards.

**How long is The Fugitive, and what is it rated?**

*The Fugitive* runs 2h 11m and is rated PG-13 by the MPA in the US. It is an action and thriller film.

**Where can I watch The Fugitive in the US?**

*The Fugitive* is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $5.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is The Fugitive, and is it suitable for children?**

*The Fugitive* carries a UK 12 certificate, which suits teenagers and most older children but not the very young. It is built around a wrongful murder conviction and a sustained pursuit, and a train crash produces real alarm rather than cartoon spectacle. There is little in it to trouble the squeamish beyond that jolt.

**How does The Fugitive compare to The 39 Steps?**

*The Fugitive* is the heavier and more spectacular of the two, while [*The 39 Steps*](https://film.one/film/the-39-steps) is the wittier and lighter. Both follow an innocent man on the run, but Hitchcock relies on Robert Donat's charm and Madeleine Carroll's resistance where Davis relies on Ford's strain and Jones's exactness. Choose Hitchcock for wit, Davis for a full evening of suspense.

**What should I watch after The Fugitive?**

After *The Fugitive*, try [*The 39 Steps*](https://film.one/film/the-39-steps) (1935, Fi1m 88): For another innocent man in trouble, with more wit and less wreckage. Then [*Le Samouraï*](https://film.one/film/le-samourai) (1967, Fi1m 88): A cooler pursuit, with patient observation doing the work of frantic action; and [*A Hard Day*](https://film.one/film/a-hard-day) (2014, Fi1m 79): A nastier thriller, with escalating trouble and an alarming appetite for complications.

### Reviews we read (9)

- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (95/100, inferred): Davis’ “The Fugitive” is one of the best entertainments of the year, a tense, taut and expert thriller that becomes an allegory about an innocent man in a world prepared to crush him. The critic singles out the virtuoso train crash sequence and the performances of Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones for particular praise. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-fugitive-1993)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (90/100, inferred): “The Fugitive” is a super-adrenalized stemwinder, a crisp and jolting melodrama that screws the tension so pitilessly tight. The critic singles out the intelligence, wit, and the duel between Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones as a confrontation to remember. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-08-06-ca-20803-story.html)
- **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (90/100, inferred): The film version of “The Fugitive” turns out to be a smashing success, a juggernaut of an action-adventure saga. The critic singles out the direction by Andrew Davis and the performances by Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones for sustaining crisp intelligence and a relentless pace. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/06/movies/review-film-back-on-the-trail-of-a-one-armed-man.html)
- **Empire**, Angie Errigo (85/100, inferred): The critic hails it as far and away the most exciting adventure thriller of the year, packed with high-speed action, crisp dialogue and strong performances from Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. Director Andrew Davis is praised for handling the clever screenplay with imagination and urgency. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/fugitive-review/)
- **Radio Times**, John Ferguson (4/5): The big-screen adaptation improves on the source material. Harrison Ford is solid as the wrongly convicted surgeon, but Tommy Lee Jones steals the film with his Oscar-winning turn as the pursuing marshal, while director Andrew Davis keeps the suspense high with memorable set pieces like the train crash. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-nad72v/the-fugitive/)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (75/100, inferred): The review covers the 1993 film directed by Andrew Davis. The critic examines the thriller's chase dynamics and lead performances. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1993/08/16/on-the-run-2)
- **Time Out**, GA (70/100, inferred): A glossy, formulaic chase movie relying on extravagant action sequences, most notably a massive train crash. Harrison Ford handles the physical demands well but is outshone by Tommy Lee Jones as the wisecracking marshal on his trail. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-fugitive)
- **The Independent**, David Thomson (45/100, inferred): The critic views the film as expensive nonsense and a silly piece of Hollywood entertainment that defames the legal system. He singles out Tommy Lee Jones' energetic, wisecracking performance as the film's main source of vitality and engine. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/cinema-disgusted-rural-texas-the-real-star-of-the-fugitive-is-tommy-lee-jones-david-thomson-studies-his-style-1509946.html)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Duane Byrge: The critic praises the film as cinematic storytelling at its best with a propulsive mix of action, suspense and humor, highlighting the lean screenplay and strong performances by Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The only minor reservation is about the credibility of the antagonist's actions. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/fugitive-review-1993-movie-1195822/)

## Details

- **Director:** Andrew Davis
- **Director:** Andrew Davis
- **Screenplay:** Jeb Stuart, David Twohy
- **Story:** David Twohy
- **Cinematography:** Michael Chapman
- **Editor:** Don Brochu, Richard Nord, Dennis Virkler, David Finfer, Dean Goodhill, Dov Hoenig
- **Music:** James Newton Howard
- **Production design:** J. Dennis Washington
- **Costume design:** Aggie Guerard Rodgers
- **Producer:** Arnold Kopelson
- **Cast:** Harrison Ford as Richard Kimble; Tommy Lee Jones as Samuel Gerard; Joe Pantoliano as Cosmo Renfro; Jeroen Krabbé as Charles Nichols; Daniel Roebuck as Biggs; L. Scott Caldwell as Poole; Thomas Mills Wood as Newman; Ron Dean as Detective Kelly
- **Runtime:** 2h 11m
- **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13
- **Release (the US):** 6 August 1993
- **Genres:** Action, Thriller, Drama
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 1993)
- **Budget:** $44 million
- **Box office:** $369 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlYsVq6FpuU

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $5.99, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $12.99, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-14.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CL, CO, CZ, DK, EC, ES, FR, GB, HR, IE, IT, JP, LT, MX, NL, NO, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1994: Best Cinematography (nominated); Best Film Editing (nominated); Best Original Score (nominated); Best Picture (nominated); Best Sound (nominated); Best Sound Editing (nominated); Best Supporting Actor (won)

## If you liked this

- *The 39 Steps* (1935), Fi1m 88: For another innocent man in trouble, with more wit and less wreckage. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-39-steps.md)
- *Le Samouraï* (1967), Fi1m 88: A cooler pursuit, with patient observation doing the work of frantic action. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/le-samourai.md)
- *The Taking of Pelham One Two Three* (1974): Professional competence, dry humour and a thriller’s proper respect for the clock.
- *Tell No One* (2006): Another desperate search for answers, driven by grief and mounting suspicion.
- *A Hard Day* (2014), Fi1m 79: A nastier thriller, with escalating trouble and an alarming appetite for complications. — [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/the-fugitive