Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Moderate
- propulsive
- tense
- patriotic
- action movie night
- military thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly viewed the film as a fast-paced but formulaic military thriller weakened by jingoism, implausibility, and excessive visual stylization.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film emphasizes fast cuts, flashy visual tricks, and video-game-like aerial and chase sequences.
Admiral Reigart's attempt to recover Burnett is hamstrung by military and political decision-making.
After being shot down, Burnett must cross war-torn Bosnia while being hunted by Tracker and hostile forces.
Burnett and Stackhouse are shot down during a reconnaissance mission after deviating from their flight path to inspect a target.
Films like Behind Enemy Lines, and why
Black Hawk Down
shared military action, rescue-mission structure, battlefield survival tension, and patriotic thriller framing
Lone Survivor
shared war-zone pursuit, lone soldier survival, aviation-centered peril, and kinetic action style
The Rock
shared military thriller mechanics, high-stakes escape, political obstruction, and intense pursuit sequences
Movie Details
- Director
- John Moore
- Release Date
- 2001-11-30
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (1724)
Cast
- Owen Wilson
- Gene Hackman
- Gabriel Macht
- Olek Krupa
- Vladimir Mashkov
- Marko Igonda
- David Keith
- Charles Malik Whitfield
- Eyal Podell
- Joaquim de Almeida
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium 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 Behind Enemy Lines about?
- A restless naval aviator stranded behind enemy lines in Bosnia must evade a relentless sniper while his commander fights political barriers to bring him home.
- What is Behind Enemy Lines like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Behind Enemy Lines as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Behind Enemy Lines violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Behind Enemy Lines as moderate.
- What did critics think of Behind Enemy Lines?
- Critics broadly viewed the film as a fast-paced but formulaic military thriller weakened by jingoism, implausibility, and excessive visual stylization.
- Which films are like Behind Enemy Lines?
- Films with a similar feel include Black Hawk Down, Lone Survivor, and The Rock.
- How long is Behind Enemy Lines?
- Behind Enemy Lines runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch Behind Enemy Lines?
- In United States, Behind Enemy Lines streams on Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel.
