Overview
A gripping tale of survival and friendship amidst the chaos of war.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- harrowing
- anger
- empathetic
- serious movie night
- historical film study
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a powerfully composed, expertly acted, emotionally affecting, and historically important account of Cambodian wartime atrocity.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sydney Schanberg and Dith Pran’s professional partnership becomes the film’s emotional and ethical center amid the Cambodian conflict.
The film contrasts Cambodian locations and rural killing sites with the human consequences of Khmer Rouge rule.
Schanberg’s reporting, photography, and efforts to help Pran expose the conflict between professional duty and personal obligation.
The Khmer Rouge takeover and its campaign of mass repression frame the film’s political and cultural horror.
Films like The Killing Fields, and why
Under Fire
shared war correspondent perspective, moral urgency, journalistic observation, and harrowing political violence
The Year of Living Dangerously
shared historical war drama form, intimate civilian suffering, and emotionally devastating human relationships
Hotel Rwanda
shared depiction of wartime atrocity, survivor trauma, and morally serious historical realism
Movie Details
- Director
- Roland Joffé
- Release Date
- 1984-11-23
- Runtime
- 142 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (866)
Cast
- Sam Waterston
- Haing S. Ngor
- John Malkovich
- Julian Sands
- Craig T. Nelson
- Spalding Gray
- Bill Paterson
- Athol Fugard
- Graham Kennedy
- Katherine Krapum Chey
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- 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 The Killing Fields about?
- A foreign correspondent’s friendship with a Cambodian journalist becomes a desperate human anchor amid the Khmer Rouge’s devastating rise to power.
- What is The Killing Fields like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Killing Fields as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Killing Fields violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Killing Fields as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Killing Fields?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a powerfully composed, expertly acted, emotionally affecting, and historically important account of Cambodian wartime atrocity.
- Which films are like The Killing Fields?
- Films with a similar feel include Under Fire, The Year of Living Dangerously, and Hotel Rwanda.
- How long is The Killing Fields?
- The Killing Fields runs 142 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Killing Fields?
- In United States, The Killing Fields is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
