Movie spotlight
A privately-financed scientist and his colleagues hire an ex-Navy officer to conduct an Alaskan submarine expedition in order to prevent a Red Chinese anti-American plot that may lead to World War III. Mixes deviously plotted schoolboy fiction with submarine spectacle and cold war heroics.
During World War II, a tough American mercenary captain is hired by a corrupt government official to transport a mysterious woman and a vital shipment of penicillin across enemy lines in the Pacific. As they navigate treacherous waters and face constant threats from Japanese forces, the captain and his crew must confront their own loyalties and the true nature of their mission.
Hell and High Water was met with a mixed to positive reception upon its release. Critics praised its action sequences and Samuel Fuller's distinctive directorial style, while some found its plot convoluted. Audiences generally enjoyed the wartime adventure and suspense.
Praised for its fast-paced action and war-time tension.
Noted for Samuel Fuller's signature gritty and direct filmmaking style.
Some found the plot to be somewhat convoluted and predictable.
Google audience: Audience reception information for this older film is not widely available.
None notable.
The film was originally intended to be a Technicolor musical before Samuel Fuller took over and transformed it into a gritty war film.
AI-generated overview · Verify ratings on official sources
Richard Widmark is on quite good form here, as the veteran naval officer hired by a group of scientists to take a ramshackle old submarine from Japan to investigate some mysterious goings-on on an island under Chinese control, and where the...