Samaritan
A bullied boy’s search for a vanished superhero leads him to a guarded neighbor who may be the city’s last chance against violent collapse.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- gritty
- tense
- hopeful
- superhero movie night
- action movie marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the premise and performances promising but judged the execution formulaic, predictable, and less compelling than its darker superhero setup suggested.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sam lives in a run-down housing project in Granite City amid poverty, chaos, and street riots.
Sam investigates Joe Smith’s identity and pushes the withdrawn older man to confront the city’s crisis.
The backstory centers on superpowered brothers whose distinct views on life position them as opposing figures.
Sylvester Stallone plays the mysterious neighbor Joe Smith, whose possible superhero identity drives the film.
Films like Samaritan, and why
Unbreakable
shared superhero mythology, urban decay, coming-of-age partnership, and grounded action tone
Logan
shared aging-superhero premise, morally conflicted vigilante, and comic-book action drama
Brightburn
shared young-protagonist perspective, hidden superhuman identity, and neighborhood-scale superhero conflict
The Dark Knight
shared crime-driven superhero setting, social unrest, and mentor relationship between a hardened adult and a young admirer
Movie Details
- Director
- Julius Avery
- Release Date
- 2022-08-25
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (2276)
Cast
- Javon Walton
- Sylvester Stallone
- Dascha Polanco
- Moisés Arias
- Pilou Asbæk
- Sophia Tatum
- Martin Starr
- Henry G. Sanders
- Jared Odrick
- Abraham Clinkscales
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- 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 Samaritan about?
- A bullied boy’s search for a vanished superhero leads him to a guarded neighbor who may be the city’s last chance against violent collapse.
- What is Samaritan like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Samaritan as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Samaritan violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Samaritan as moderate.
- What did critics think of Samaritan?
- Critics generally found the premise and performances promising but judged the execution formulaic, predictable, and less compelling than its darker superhero setup suggested.
- Which films are like Samaritan?
- Films with a similar feel include Unbreakable, Logan, Brightburn, and The Dark Knight.
- How long is Samaritan?
- Samaritan runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch Samaritan?
- In United States, Samaritan streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
