Overview
A gripping tale of resilience and survival against all odds during wartime.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- harrowing
- earnest
- inspirational
- historical drama night
- inspirational viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film well-intentioned and emotionally committed but too reliant on predictable prestige-drama conventions.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Louis Zamperini's Olympic career and survival as an airman and prisoner of war form the film's central arc.
Zamperini faces systematic cruelty and degradation under Japanese naval captors, especially Mutsuhiro Watanabe.
The film moves from an Olympic athlete's military service to a Pacific crash and prolonged captivity with an earnest, large-scale presentation.
The Pacific survival episodes contrast open sea vulnerability with the enclosed, coercive spaces of prisoner-of-war camps.
Films like Unbroken, and why
The Railway Man
shared biographical war drama, survival ordeal, prisoner-of-war brutality, and resilience themes
Hacksaw Ridge
shared World War II setting, military survival narrative, inspirational tone, and true-story basis
Race
shared athletics-centered biography, determined protagonist, historical adversity, and uplifting perseverance
The Great Escape
shared prisoner-of-war drama, wartime endurance, institutional cruelty, and serious emotional register
Movie Details
- Director
- Angelina Jolie
- Release Date
- 2014-12-25
- Runtime
- 137 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (4457)
Cast
- Jack O'Connell
- Alex Russell
- Domhnall Gleeson
- Garrett Hedlund
- MIYAVI
- Finn Wittrock
- Jai Courtney
- Maddalena Ischiale
- Vincenzo Amato
- Sophie Dalah
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
- 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 Unbroken about?
- An Olympic runner's extraordinary resilience is tested by a plane crash, Pacific survival, and brutal captivity during World War II.
- What is Unbroken like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Unbroken as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Unbroken violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Unbroken as brutal.
- What did critics think of Unbroken?
- Critics broadly found the film well-intentioned and emotionally committed but too reliant on predictable prestige-drama conventions.
- Which films are like Unbroken?
- Films with a similar feel include The Railway Man, Hacksaw Ridge, Race, and The Great Escape.
- How long is Unbroken?
- Unbroken runs 137 minutes.
- Where can I watch Unbroken?
- In United States, Unbroken streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
