K-19: The Widowmaker
K-19: The Widowmaker

K-19: The Widowmaker

2002Movie138 minEnglish

When Russia's first nuclear submarine malfunctions on its maiden voyage, the crew must race to save the ship and prevent a nuclear disaster.

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Insights

IMDb6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes62%
Metacritic61/100
Google Users71%
Director: Kathryn BigelowGenres: Drama, Thriller, War, History

Plot Summary

In 1961, the captain of the Soviet nuclear submarine K-19, Alexei Vostrikov, clashes with his executive officer, Mikhail Polenin, over safety protocols and leadership style. When a reactor malfunction occurs during a missile test, the crew must race against time and fight against the Soviets' tight-lipped approach to information to prevent a nuclear disaster and a potential world war.

Critical Reception

K-19: The Widowmaker received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its tense atmosphere and performances, particularly Harrison Ford's. However, some critics found the film's historical accuracy questionable and its pacing uneven, leading to a somewhat polarized reception.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its suspenseful portrayal of a real-life nuclear near-disaster.
  • Harrison Ford's performance as the stoic captain was widely lauded.
  • Criticized for historical inaccuracies and occasional narrative lulls.

Google audience: Audiences generally found the film to be a gripping and intense thriller, appreciating the historical subject matter and the strong performances. Some viewers noted that the film could be emotionally taxing due to the high stakes and the grim circumstances depicted.

Fun Fact

The film faced significant controversy over its historical accuracy, with surviving K-19 crew members and Russian officials disputing several key events and character portrayals depicted in the movie.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

2 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

A rather clunky cold-war maritime thriller that manages to mix plausible science with shallow propaganda in a rather cack-handed fashion - and a (mis)casting that gives the film the same sinking feeling that the submarine must have felt whe...
tmdb28039023

tmdb28039023

K-19: The Widowmaker is the Russian answer to Run Silent, Run Deep/Crimson Tide, except that it's about as Russian as Michael Apted’s Gorky Park – still, not bad company to be in at all. Like Gorky Park, which had two late greats in Wil...