--- title: "The Hunt for Red October" year: 1990 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-hunt-for-red-october" fi1m_id: "the-hunt-for-red-october" imdb_id: "tt0099810" tmdb_id: 1669 wikidata_id: "Q507994" fi1m_score: 82 critics_score: 71 critics_reviews: 12 published: "2026-09-13" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:14.510854+00:00" region: "ID" 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 Hunt for Red October (1990) Directed by John McTiernan · 2h 15m · Action, Thriller ## Identity The Hunt for Red October - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-hunt-for-red-october - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-hunt-for-red-october - **IMDb ID:** tt0099810 - **TMDB ID:** 1669 - **Wikidata ID:** Q507994 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099810/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1669, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q507994 **Fi1m score: 82** · Critics 71 from 12 reviews *In a sentence:* A submarine, an international crisis and a welcome number of people who seem qualified to be at work > John McTiernan makes a patient, absorbing submarine thriller out of people trying to understand one another under pressure. Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin make the thinking compelling; the explanations and thin character writing occasionally test our patience. ## Synopsis Sean Connery plays Captain Marko Ramius, a Soviet submarine commander whose actions bring the United States and Soviet Union into an international crisis. Alec Baldwin is Jack Ryan, trying to understand the captain’s intentions as the rival powers consider their responses. Scott Glenn plays Commander Bart Mancuso of the USS Dallas, with Sam Neill as Captain Vasily Borodin and James Earl Jones as Vice Admiral James Greer. Adapted from Tom Clancy’s novel, the story follows a contest of military judgement in which neither side can afford to misread the other. ## Review *The Hunt for Red October* trusts us to find a military problem interesting before anyone starts solving it by force. John McTiernan makes that trust worthwhile: this is a tense, satisfying thriller, held back a little by its appetite for explanation. A Soviet submarine commander has provoked an international crisis, and understanding what he wants becomes urgent work. Sean Connery’s Ramius is a useful man to put at the centre of such a story. Connery can make other people seem rash simply by taking his time. Alec Baldwin’s Jack Ryan gives the film someone whose thinking we want to follow. Baldwin makes intelligence convincing: his assurance feels worked for, and he leaves enough uncertainty in it to keep the problem alive. We were gripped by his attempts to make sense of Ramius, because Baldwin makes getting the interpretation right feel as urgent as any physical feat. McTiernan lets that performance carry stretches another thriller might fill with movement. Jan de Bont’s cinematography makes the submarine interiors feel confined without making the people difficult to follow. Terence Marsh’s production design is convincing as a place where trained crews work, and never becomes the main attraction. We can attend to faces and decisions instead of admiring the equipment. The surroundings persuade us that these people belong here, which matters in a film so dependent on our belief in their professional judgement. Editors John Wright and Dennis Virkler keep the competing groups and decisions legible, even when the screenplay supplies more information than the moment needs. We can follow the pressure being passed from one person to another without having to stop and reconstruct the plot. Basil Poledouris’s music gives the military drama weight, though its solemnity occasionally presses harder than the performances need. The tension is often strongest when the film gives someone time to listen and decide. The supporting cast helps sustain that feeling of people being paid to do difficult jobs. Scott Glenn’s Commander Bart Mancuso and James Earl Jones’s Vice Admiral James Greer have an authority that does not need much underlining, while Sam Neill’s Vasily Borodin brings welcome warmth. Yet Larry Ferguson and Donald E. Stewart’s screenplay struggles when it tries to give these men lives beyond their duties. Those passages can feel dutiful, and some of the sentiment arrives without enough preparation. The adaptation of Tom Clancy’s novel also retains more explanation than a 135-minute film needs. There are stretches when Ferguson and Stewart seem determined to leave no possible misunderstanding uncorrected, and McTiernan indulges them for too long. Even these actors cannot keep every explanation equally interesting. A shorter film would sacrifice some technical detail and gain some urgency, particularly where the dialogue repeats what the performances have already made clear. Submarine thrillers have cramped quarters to help them create tension, and McTiernan makes equally good use of the people giving the orders. The pleasure lies in following skilled men as they make consequential choices with incomplete knowledge. Their private lives may be thinly written, but the work holds our attention. Give it an evening without interruptions; these people have enough misunderstandings to manage already. *Fi1m score 82, published 13 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics take to this as a sturdy, intelligent submarine thriller that keeps a complicated plot clear. The praise gathers around John McTiernan’s direction: his taut set pieces, his patient crosscutting between the Soviet boat and American intelligence, and the spatial clarity that lets a talky story move like an action film. Sean Connery’s commanding Soviet captain is the performance singled out most often, with Alec Baldwin’s nervier Jack Ryan close behind, and several admire its handling of the language barrier between crews. The dissent is small but sharp, and the spread is wide: ten warm reviews, none lukewarm, two cold. Time Out finds the attempts to give the characters lives beyond the plot perfunctory. The New York Times calls it unconvincing and lazy, with punches pulled and effects that fall short, while Empire says the handling of Russian dialogue and heavy exposition sink the first ninety minutes before the action arrives. Later reassessments run warmer than the original notices. ## Straight answers **Is The Hunt for Red October worth watching?** *The Hunt for Red October* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys a thriller built on people thinking under pressure, and we scored it 82. Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin make the contest of judgement absorbing, and John McTiernan keeps it tense without much violence. The screenplay explains more than it needs to, and the men's private lives are thinly written. **How long is The Hunt for Red October, and what is it rated?** *The Hunt for Red October* runs 2h 15m. It is an action and thriller film. **Where can I watch The Hunt for Red October in Indonesia?** *The Hunt for Red October* is not on any streaming or rental service in Indonesia at the moment. It is available in 43 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How does The Hunt for Red October compare to Das Boot?** *The Hunt for Red October* is the more comfortable film, while [*Das Boot*](https://film.one/film/das-boot) is the harsher and more physically gruelling account of submarine life. McTiernan's thriller takes pleasure in skilled men whose expertise usually protects them; Petersen's drama shows how little protection expertise can offer. We rate both highly, but the earlier film is the one that leaves a mark. **Is The Hunt for Red October based on a true story or a book?** *The Hunt for Red October* is adapted from Tom Clancy's novel of the same name and is not a true story. The adaptation keeps a good deal of the book's technical explanation, more than the film needs, and the review notes that the characters' lives beyond their duties are thinly drawn. You do not need to have read Clancy to follow the film. **What should I watch after The Hunt for Red October?** After *The Hunt for Red October*, try [*Das Boot*](https://film.one/film/das-boot) (1981, Fi1m 89): For a harsher account of submarine life, where expertise offers limited protection. Then [*The Wages of Fear*](https://film.one/film/the-wages-of-fear) (1953, Fi1m 90): Another tense study of men whose practical skills are tested under pressure; and [*Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy*](https://film.one/film/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy) (2011, Fi1m 84): For more patient intelligence work, with every conversation requiring close attention. ### Reviews we read (12) - **Variety**, Variety Staff (90/100, inferred): The film is a terrific adventure yarn, thoughtfully adapted from the novel to reflect mellowing US-Soviet relations, with splendid performances from Connery and Baldwin and strong special effects. [Read](https://variety.com/1989/film/reviews/the-hunt-for-red-october-1200428202/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (85/100, inferred): Ebert praises the film as a skillful and efficient thriller that keeps its complex plot clear while highlighting the intelligence of its characters and strategy. He singles out the strong performances, particularly Sean Connery as Ramius and Alec Baldwin as Ryan, along with the film's focus on clever deception over crude motivations. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-hunt-for-red-october-1990) - **Radio Times**, John Ferguson (4/5): This submarine drama is an engaging thriller in which a Soviet commander sparks an international crisis. John McTiernan's no-frills direction maintains high tension throughout, aided by a strong supporting cast. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-bcsnbq/the-hunt-for-red-october/) - **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager (80/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a thrilling edge-of-your-seat trifle that has admirably withstood the test of time. They single out director John McTiernan's knack for taut set pieces and the credible performances, particularly Alec Baldwin's as Jack Ryan. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-hunt-for-red-october/) - **The Telegraph**, Tom Fordy (75/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as sturdy and immersive, praising director John McTiernan for handling it like a thunderous action film despite its talky nature. They highlight Sean Connery's commanding performance as the standout element. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/hunt-for-red-october-tom-clancy-sean-connery-alec-baldwin/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Sheila Benson (70/100, inferred): The underwater thriller has an amiable smartness, a crackerjack premise, and a satisfying upbeat message, with strong performances especially from Connery and effective production values. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-03-02-ca-1561-story.html) - **Time Out**, TCh (70/100, inferred): The film offers an engrossing and exciting battle of wits among the superpowers and the defecting captain. Attempts to give characters interior lives beyond the plot feel perfunctory or corny despite the strong cast. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-hunt-for-red-october) - **Empire**, Angie Errigo (30/100, inferred): The review criticizes the film's handling of Russian dialogue and over-exposition in the first 90 minutes, which sink a promising submarine thriller premise. It notes that the action finally picks up in the final stretch with stunts and effects, though the overall pace leaves much to be desired from the director of Die Hard. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/hunt-red-october-review/) - **The New York Times**, Vincent Canby (30/100, inferred): The film is an elegy for the Cold War that is entertaining in fits and starts but ultimately unconvincing and lazy, with punches pulled and special effects that fall short. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/02/movies/reviews-film-connery-as-captain-of-a-renegade-soviet-sub.html) - **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (90/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a strong submarine thriller and the best depiction of Jack Ryan, praising its ensemble cast, direction, and ability to handle complex plotting without confusion. [Read](https://collider.com/the-hunt-for-red-october-4k-review-jack-ryan/) - **Den of Geek** (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's innovative handling of language barriers as a masterstroke that remains unmatched in Hollywood. They single out director John McTiernan's spatial clarity and rhythmic editing as key strengths that elevate the submarine thriller. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/hunt-for-red-october-english-switch-best-way-languages/) - **The Ringer**, Adam Nayman (85/100, inferred): The film is slow, stately, and patient in its construction, with McTiernan’s rhythmic crosscutting between the submarine and American intelligence creating intense suspense reminiscent of 1960s classics. Connery’s gravitas as the Soviet captain carries the show, supported by Baldwin’s nervy performance as Ryan. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2021/05/03/movies/tom-clancy-movie-rankings-without-remorse-the-hunt-for-red-october) ## Details - **Director:** John McTiernan - **Director:** John McTiernan - **Screenplay:** Donald E. Stewart, Larry Ferguson - **Novel:** Tom Clancy - **Cinematography:** Jan de Bont - **Editor:** John Wright, Dennis Virkler - **Music:** Basil Poledouris - **Production design:** Terence Marsh - **Producer:** Mace Neufeld - **Cast:** Sean Connery as Capt. 1st Marko Ramius; Alec Baldwin as Dr. Jack Ryan; Scott Glenn as CDR Bart Mancuso (USS Dallas); Sam Neill as Capt. 2nd Vasily Borodin; James Earl Jones as Vice ADM James Greer; Joss Ackland as Ambassador Andrei Lysenko; Richard Jordan as Dr. Jeffrey Pelt, National Security Advisor; Peter Firth as Capt. 2nd Ivan Putin (Political Officer, Red October) - **Runtime:** 2h 15m - **First release (Canada):** 2 March 1990 - **Genres:** Action, Thriller - **Budget:** $30 million - **Box office:** $201 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxL8uBmdulY ## Where to watch in Indonesia Not streaming, renting or buying in Indonesia at the last check. Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 1991: Best Film Editing (nominated); Best Sound (nominated); Best Sound Editing (won) ## If you liked this - *Crimson Tide* (1995): Another submarine command dispute, with less room for patience and compromise. - *Das Boot* (1981), Fi1m 89: For a harsher account of submarine life, where expertise offers limited protection. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/das-boot.md) - *Fail Safe* (1964): Military procedure turns frightening as capable people confront the limits of control. - *The Wages of Fear* (1953), Fi1m 90: Another tense study of men whose practical skills are tested under pressure. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-wages-of-fear.md) - *Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy* (2011), Fi1m 84: For more patient intelligence work, with every conversation requiring close attention. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy.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-hunt-for-red-october