K-19: The Widowmaker
New Films International | Release Date: July 19, 2002 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
58
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 35 Critic Reviews
Positive:
17
Mixed:
16
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
SlateDavid Edelstein
Impressive and heartfelt. Read full review
80
The New York TimesDana Stevens
(Director Bigelow) piles up one nerve-racking crisis after another, interspersed with moments of ethereal, almost otherworldly beauty. Read full review
80
SalonAndrew O'Hehir
May be a bit too grim and claustrophobic to become a certifiable summer blockbuster, but it's a pulse-pounding thriller that brings one of the Cold War's darkest and deadliest episodes to the big screen. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
There is one surprise in the movie, a decision having nothing to do with the reactor, that depends entirely on the ability of the characters to act convincingly under enormous pressure; casting stars of roughly equal weight helps it to work. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
The movie gradually works its way, with quiet intelligence and apparent conviction, until there's no turning from it. An hour in, and we're on that boat. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Bigelow gives this film edge, tension and something you aren't expecting: a woman's touch for teasing out the buried emotion beneath those stoic surfaces. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
As a grueling "trip" movie and cautionary tale of the nuclear age, K-19 fits the bill. The harsh depiction of everyday life in the Soviet navy and numerous scenes of seamen exposing themselves to lethal doses of radiation are profoundly disturbing. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
A relentlessly serious action movie, characterized by, of all things, sorrow. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
I don't think that a woman behind the camera necessarily affects the tenor of what is on screen, but never before have I seen a men-of-war film more notable for its psychology than its spectacle. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
K-19 will not go down in the annals of cinema as one of the great submarine stories, but it is an engaging and exciting narrative of Man confronting the Demons of his own fear and paranoia. Read full review
70
Village VoiceDennis Lim
As square-shouldered as you'd expect of a National Geographic co-production. But Bigelow hits all her marks and more within the narrow parameters. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter Rainer
As a technical achievement, K-19 is right up there with Das Boot. Don't expect much dramatic depth, though. The fathoms descended in this movie are strictly nautical. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Remains an above-average and affecting descent into both heretofore unknown Soviet naval history and the always popular submarine-in-peril genre. Read full review
63
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
Despite its exciting moments, the film is too long. Read full review
63
New York PostJonathan Foreman
With uncommon ineptitude even by the standards of contemporary action flicks, Kyle's script submerges the inherently dramatic tale of the K-19 under a pile of clichés, while failing to tell you enough about the characters for their actions to make much sense. Read full review
63
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
It took guts to bring this story to the screen, but at its core it has the wrong stuff. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
The Cold War isn't exactly a hot ticket right now, but K-19 punches up the timeless aspects of the story -- adventure, danger, teamwork, noble self-sacrifice and two forceful actors butting heads, even if you don't buy them as Russian for a moment. Read full review
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