• Home
• Black Hawk Down

Page

Black Hawk Down

• Summary
• How to watch
• News & features

❚ We may earn commission from links on this page. Our editorial is always independent (learn more).

Watch trailer

02:24

Black Hawk Down

Save

• Documentary
• Drama

• 2001
• Ridley Scott
• 138 mins
• 15

Summary

War drama based on real events, starring Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor and Tom Sizemore. On 3 October 1993, elite US troops were sent into Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, to capture two lieutenants working for the local warlord responsible for orchestrating a famine in the region. The ensuing 15-hour battle saw the deaths of nearly 20 American soldiers, and hundreds of Somalis, after two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down.

Ad

Powered By

IMDB

Review

A star rating of 3 out of 5.

Andrew Collins

Following on swiftly from the release of Behind Enemy Lines, here's another noisy, gung-ho modern war movie. However, the fact that this film is based on the disastrous 1993 "Battle of Mogadishu" in Somalia does not temper its flag-waving, pro-American militarism. The film's poster tagline "Leave no man behind" disguises what was a strategic American mess as chest-beating melodrama - in reality, 18 Americans were killed, as were hundreds of Somalis during a 15-hour firefight. That it should come from a British director is the surprise, though to his credit Ridley Scott has cast many non-Americans in prominent roles - an underused Ewan McGregor, an impressive Jason Isaacs, comic turn Ewen Bremner and charismatic Eric Bana. It's sensitive, cool-headed and intelligent for a Jerry Bruckheimer movie, but for all of Scott's incredible technical skill - you really do feel as if you are there - the battle scenes lack identifiable characters and there is scant insight into the Somalian conflict. In a post-11-September world, its call for "heroes" makes it little more than a recruitment film.

imdb-square

7.7/10

How to watch

Loading

Streaming

• Prime Video
• Sky Store

Credits

Cast

rolenameRanger Staff Sgt Matt EversmannJosh HartnettRanger Spec GrimesEwan McGregorRanger Lt Col Danny McKnightTom SizemoreDelta Sgt First Class "Hoot" GibsonEric BanaDelta Sgt First Class Jeff SandersonWilliam FichtnerSpecialist Shawn NelsonEwen BremnerMaj Gen William F GarrisonSam ShepardRanger Spec Mike KurthGabriel CasseusDelta Master Sgt Chris "Wex" WexlerKim CoatesRanger Sgt First Class Kurt SchmidHugh DancyChief Warrant Officer Mike DurantRon EldardRanger BealesIoan GruffuddChief Warrant Officer Cliff Wolcott Jeremy PivenRanger Private First Class Richard KowalewskiBrendan Sexton IIICaptain Mike SteeleJason IsaacsPrivate First Class Todd BlackburnOrlando BloomHarrellZeljko IvanekMatthewsGlenn MorshowerTwomblyTom HardyGoodaleCarmine GiovinazzoSizemoreMatthew MarsdenFirimbiTreva EtienneWilkinsonTy Burrell

Show more

Crew

rolenameDirectorRidley Scott

Details

Theatrical distributor

Columbia TriStar

Released on

2002-01-18

Languages

English | Arabic | Somali

Guidance

Violence and swearing.

Available on

video, DVD and Blu-ray

Formats

Colour

News & features about Black Hawk Down

• 
  
  Surviving Black Hawk Down – true story behind new Netflix series
  
  The devastating conflict is explored in a new Netflix documentary.

• 
  
  Surviving Black Hawk Down confirms release date for Netflix documentary exploring harrowing true story
  
  The story was previously dramatised in Ridley Scott's 2001 film Black Hawk Down.

  Ad

• 
  
  How to get into the Delta Force: Hawk Ops alpha confirmed
  
  Become the alpha papa of Delta Force.

• 
  
  Idris Elba: 'Knife crime isn’t just a Black problem'
  
  "It's misleading."

• 
  
  Quentin Tarantino slams "weakest male actor in SAG" for spoiling what he argues could have been best film of the century
  
  The American film maker said one of There Will Be Blood's lead actors was the film's "giant flaw".

• 
  
  BAFTA TV Awards 2026 nominations revealed: Full list of nominees including Celebrity Traitors, Doctor Who legend and EastEnders
  
  Adolescence, A Thousand Blows, Andor, and Trespasses lead the way.

• 
  
  Full list of winners revealed
  
  The winners were revealed at a ceremony hosted by Greg Davies.

  Ad

• 
  
  Idris Elba documentary Our Knife Crime Crisis air date confirmed
  
  The hour-long documentary comes from Elba's own production company with Diene Petterle, 22Summers.

• 
  
  Jurassic Park legend stars in tense first-look trailer for new Netflix thriller mystery out next week
  
  Our first look at Untamed is finally here.

• 
  
  Meet the cast of Black Mirror season 6
  
  Once again, we're going on a star-studded dystopian ride.

• 
  
  Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies, aged 61
  
  The actor was best known for his roles in films like Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down.

• 
  
  The Night Agent season 3 cast: Meet the stars of Gabriel Basso Netflix thriller
  
  The drama stars Basso as FBI agent Peter Sutherland, but who else is in it?

• 
  
  Untamed cast: Who stars in the Netflix drama?
  
  And who do they play?

• 
  
  Coldwater cast: Full list of actors in Andrew Lincoln's ITV thriller
  
  One man’s choice triggers a deadly chain of events in the heart of Scotland as this series kicks off. Meet the characters taking centre stage.

• 
  
  Meet the cast of Prison Break
  
  All you need to know about the show's cast and characters, including how their stories ended.

See more about Black Hawk Down

Ad

Ad

Ad