Overview
A gripping tale of survival against overwhelming odds in the heart of Afghanistan.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- visceral
- harrowing
- relentless
- intense movie night
- war film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film’s visceral combat staging and physical filmmaking while faulting its heavy-handed jingoism and limited engagement with the wider war.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The mission is presented through sustained firefights, injuries, terrain, and physical exhaustion.
Luttrell and his team must escape and endure in the Hindu Kush after the mission collapses.
The Navy SEAL team repeatedly risks itself to protect fellow operators during Operation Red Wings.
The encounter with the mountain herders creates the mission's central tactical and ethical dilemma.
Films like Lone Survivor, and why
Black Hawk Down
visceral modern combat filmmaking, military survival, and a focused account of soldiers trapped behind enemy lines
We Were Soldiers
true-story war drama centered on battlefield endurance, sacrifice, and intense physical action
The Hurt Locker
grounded combat spectacle, soldier camaraderie, and the moral pressure of a dangerous military mission
13 Hours
survival-driven war drama based on real events, emphasizing courage and battlefield trauma
Movie Details
- Director
- Peter Berg
- Release Date
- 2013-12-24
- Runtime
- 121 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (4888)
Cast
- Mark Wahlberg
- Taylor Kitsch
- Emile Hirsch
- Ben Foster
- Eric Bana
- Ali Suliman
- Alexander Ludwig
- Jerry Ferrara
- Scott Elrod
- Josh Berry
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Starz Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Lone Survivor about?
- A Navy SEAL team’s mission in the Afghan mountains becomes a punishing test of loyalty, endurance, and survival.
- What is Lone Survivor like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Lone Survivor as breakneck, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Lone Survivor violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Lone Survivor as graphic.
- What did critics think of Lone Survivor?
- Critics broadly praised the film’s visceral combat staging and physical filmmaking while faulting its heavy-handed jingoism and limited engagement with the wider war.
- Which films are like Lone Survivor?
- Films with a similar feel include Black Hawk Down, We Were Soldiers, The Hurt Locker, and 13 Hours.
- How long is Lone Survivor?
- Lone Survivor runs 121 minutes.
- Where can I watch Lone Survivor?
- In United States, Lone Survivor streams on Starz Apple TV channel.
