Overview
In a world torn apart by greed and conflict, survival comes at a high price.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- tense
- harrowing
- socially conscious
- serious movie night
- political thriller night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film gripping and politically engaged, with strong performances and impressive production values offset by formulaic storytelling and a predictable final act.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The diamond trade directly finances rebel violence and turns valuable stones into instruments of exploitation.
Danny Archer begins as a cynical smuggler but is changed by Solomon Vandy's family crisis and the surrounding war.
The film combines gripping chases and combat sequences with direct commentary on conflict diamonds and Western complicity.
Solomon's efforts to recover Dia give the geopolitical conflict a concrete familial stake.
Films like Blood Diamond, and why
The Constant Gardener
Shares an African war setting, political corruption, survival thriller momentum, and morally compromised protagonists confronting exploitation.
Hotel Rwanda
Combines armed conflict, humanitarian crisis, journalistic investigation, and emotionally direct political drama.
Salvador
Features a journalist caught amid violent political upheaval, with urgent action and critique of international power.
Lord of War
Uses a morally transforming criminal protagonist, stark violence, and geopolitical exploitation within a propulsive thriller structure.
Movie Details
- Director
- Edward Zwick
- Release Date
- 2006-12-08
- Runtime
- 143 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (8568)
Cast
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- Djimon Hounsou
- Jennifer Connelly
- Kagiso Kuypers
- Arnold Vosloo
- Antony Coleman
- Benu Mabhena
- Anointing Lukola
- David Harewood
- Basil Wallace
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- 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 Blood Diamond about?
- A cynical diamond smuggler and a desperate fisherman join forces across war-torn Sierra Leone to recover a priceless stone and a stolen son.
- What is Blood Diamond like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Blood Diamond as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Blood Diamond violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Blood Diamond as brutal.
- What did critics think of Blood Diamond?
- Critics broadly found the film gripping and politically engaged, with strong performances and impressive production values offset by formulaic storytelling and a predictable final act.
- Which films are like Blood Diamond?
- Films with a similar feel include The Constant Gardener, Hotel Rwanda, Salvador, and Lord of War.
- How long is Blood Diamond?
- Blood Diamond runs 143 minutes.
- Where can I watch Blood Diamond?
- In United States, Blood Diamond streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
