Overview
A photographer's quest for truth in a war-torn landscape reveals the cost of neutrality.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- tense
- morally serious
- paranoid
- serious movie night
- political cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the vivid sense of place, strong performances, and thrilling blend of political drama, war journalism, and romance, though some found the story confused or exploitative.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Russell Price must decide whether photographing and reporting the revolution can remain separate from taking sides.
Price, Claire, and Alex must evade the army while navigating shifting loyalties around the guerrilla movement.
The central characters are a photographer and reporters whose professional work places them directly inside Nicaragua's civil war.
Claire's relationship with Russell and Alex unfolds amid the revolution and the pressure of hiding from the army.
Films like Under Fire, and why
Salvador
war correspondent protagonists, political intrigue, moral ambiguity, and romantic tension amid armed conflict
The Year of Living Dangerously
war-torn setting, journalist ethics, romantic entanglement, and suspenseful political drama
The Killing Fields
classic war-correspondent drama combining romance, political danger, and questions of professional obligation
Movie Details
- Director
- Roger Spottiswoode
- Release Date
- 1983-10-21
- Runtime
- 128 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (193)
Cast
- Nick Nolte
- Gene Hackman
- Joanna Cassidy
- Ed Harris
- Jean-Louis Trintignant
- Richard Masur
- Alma Martinez
- René Enríquez
- Hamilton Camp
- Jenny Gago
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Under Fire about?
- A principled war photographer is pulled from detached observer to dangerous participant during Nicaragua's revolution.
- What is Under Fire like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Under Fire as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Under Fire violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Under Fire as graphic.
- What did critics think of Under Fire?
- Critics broadly praised the vivid sense of place, strong performances, and thrilling blend of political drama, war journalism, and romance, though some found the story confused or exploitative.
- Which films are like Under Fire?
- Films with a similar feel include Salvador, The Year of Living Dangerously, and The Killing Fields.
- How long is Under Fire?
- Under Fire runs 128 minutes.
- Where can I watch Under Fire?
- In United States, Under Fire streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus.
