Ender's Game
A gifted boy is molded into humanity’s ultimate space commander while the line between tactical victory and moral catastrophe steadily disappears.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- earnest
- thought-provoking
- science fiction marathon
- action movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the adaptation visually impressive and briskly entertaining, while considering it less emotionally and intellectually substantial than the source novel.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ender is removed from his family and trained at battle school to become an effective commander and killer.
Ender's battle-school exercises are presented as games while their stakes and consequences remain hidden from him.
The battle-school sequences use elaborate floating arenas and digitally constructed space environments for tactical combat.
Ender's empathy and growing awareness challenge the assumption that the Formics are merely monstrous invaders.
Films like Ender's Game, and why
The Hunger Games
shared young protagonist, militarized science fiction setting, alien conflict, and ethical questions about strategic violence
The Maze Runner
shared child-centered futuristic action, authoritarian training institutions, and morally unsettling manipulation
Starship Troopers
shared alien-invasion premise, large-scale space combat, and strategic military science fiction
The Last Starfighter
shared coming-of-age science fiction, empathetic protagonist, and conflict between humanity and an alien species
Movie Details
- Director
- Gavin Hood
- Release Date
- 2013-10-24
- Runtime
- 114 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (6437)
Cast
- Asa Butterfield
- Hailee Steinfeld
- Harrison Ford
- Viola Davis
- Ben Kingsley
- Abigail Breslin
- Aramis Knight
- Moisés Arias
- Nonso Anozie
- Suraj Partha
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Angel Studios, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, MovieSphere+ 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 Ender's Game about?
- A gifted boy is molded into humanity’s ultimate space commander while the line between tactical victory and moral catastrophe steadily disappears.
- What is Ender's Game like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ender's Game as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Ender's Game violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Ender's Game as moderate.
- What did critics think of Ender's Game?
- Critics broadly found the adaptation visually impressive and briskly entertaining, while considering it less emotionally and intellectually substantial than the source novel.
- Which films are like Ender's Game?
- Films with a similar feel include The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Starship Troopers, and The Last Starfighter.
- How long is Ender's Game?
- Ender's Game runs 114 minutes.
- Where can I watch Ender's Game?
- In United States, Ender's Game streams on Amazon Prime Video, Angel Studios, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel.
