Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- tense
- cynical
- brooding
- political thriller night
- spy movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found it a tightly plotted, old-school espionage thriller elevated by strong performances, especially from Jon Hamm and Rosamund Pike, while noting its politically contested framing of the Middle East.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story turns 1970s Beirut and its later hostage crisis into a setting for CIA operations and international intrigue.
Mason Skiles is drawn back into Beirut years after a catastrophic event ended his diplomatic life there.
Mason and American intelligence officers negotiate Lebanese, Palestinian, Israeli, and other competing interests from an external viewpoint.
The CIA’s hostage mission requires Mason to balance rescue objectives against manipulation, secrecy, and competing agendas.
Films like Beirut, and why
Argo
period espionage intrigue, morally compromised institutions, and a tense international hostage plot
Syriana
political thriller structure, Middle Eastern conflict, and a protagonist navigating covert operations
Munich
old-school spy craftsmanship, cynical intelligence agencies, and a driven central investigator
Body of Lies
wartime political intrigue, hostage stakes, and morally ambiguous international power struggles
Movie Details
- Director
- Brad Anderson
- Release Date
- 2018-04-11
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (628)
Cast
- Jon Hamm
- Rosamund Pike
- Shea Whigham
- Dean Norris
- Mark Pellegrino
- Douglas Hodge
- Alon Aboutboul
- Kate Fleetwood
- Leïla Bekhti
- Jonny Coyne
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Cinemax Amazon Channel, Cinemax Apple TV channel, Baeble Amazon Channel, Qello Concerts by Stingray Amazon 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 Beirut about?
- A haunted former diplomat is pulled into a perilous CIA hostage negotiation amid the factional violence of 1980s Beirut.
- What is Beirut like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Beirut as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Beirut violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Beirut as brutal.
- What did critics think of Beirut?
- Critics broadly found it a tightly plotted, old-school espionage thriller elevated by strong performances, especially from Jon Hamm and Rosamund Pike, while noting its politically contested framing of the Middle East.
- Which films are like Beirut?
- Films with a similar feel include Argo, Syriana, Munich, and Body of Lies.
- How long is Beirut?
- Beirut runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch Beirut?
- In United States, Beirut streams on Cinemax Amazon Channel, Cinemax Apple TV channel, Baeble Amazon Channel, Qello Concerts by Stingray Amazon Channel.
