Hunter Killer (2018)

I know what you're thinking—people are always going to complain that Gerard Butler basically just spends his career starring in trashy action flicks where he’s constantly playing the hero saving the President or some other high-stakes VIP. But honestly, I went into Hunter Killer yesterday with zero expectations, just looking for something to kill time with, and I have to say, I actually had a blast. It’s this submarine thriller that feels like a mix of the classic Red October vibe and the intensity of 24 (though maybe with a few more plot holes), and it really held its own.



Besides Butler, you’ve got a solid cast including Gary Oldman, Common, and Linda Cardellini. In this one, Gerard is tasked with saving a Russian leader who, if I'm being totally honest, looks exactly like a certain famous American football coach. 🤣🤣🤣🤣



If you're a fan of spy thrillers, naval warfare, or just good old-fashioned American military action, I definitely recommend giving this one a watch. 😁

TRAILER

Not a single word about this here.
I had a hard enough time even tracking down this thread—honestly thought it didn't exist.
It’s a pretty solid sub movie in my book, even if it dips its toes into some surface action now and then.
Think of Red October as being the USS Arkansas in this scenario; those skirmishes against the Akula class are actually quite intense, and the fight with the destroyer holds up too.
Still, that sequence where they slip into Murmansk? That's easily one of the best parts.

It’s such a shame about Butler and that string of flops he’s been stuck with lately.

I mean, the movie is actually watchable. Maybe even good?

So, if you’re actually into those submarine thrillers—the kind where everything feels claustrophobic and tense—then yeah, you’d probably be a natural fit for this.
Having Butler in the mix is just a nice little bonus.

nimblescout50 said:So, if you’re actually into those submarine thrillers—the kind where everything feels claustrophobic and tense—then yeah, you’d probably be a natural fit for this.
Having Butler in the mix is just a nice little bonus.

To be honest, I haven't actually watched many submarine flicks in my life, though most of them were solid.
There’s a whole range out there—from intense war dramas like Das Boot to something a bit more overlooked like Grim Tide with Denzel Washington. And don't even get me started on the classic The Abyss.

I've somehow never seen Red October, for some reason. No clue why.

The Abyss is this incredible sci-fi romantic adventure—honestly, I’m not sure if anyone else here actually categorizes it that way
It's got that same vibe as Das Boot, for instance.

Richard Wilson4 said:To be honest, I haven't actually watched many submarine flicks in my life, though most of them were solid.
There’s a whole range out there—from intense war dramas like Das Boot to something a bit more overlooked like Grim Tide with Denzel Washington. And don't even get me started on the classic The Abyss.

I've somehow never seen Red October, for some reason. No clue why.

I don't think The Abyss really fits into that whole subgenre category...

Anyway... I actually have this ancient thread about genre titles floating around somewhere. There are definitely some solid movies in there though...

nimblescout50 said:The Abyss is this incredible sci-fi romantic adventure—honestly, I’m not sure if anyone else here actually categorizes it that way
It's got that same vibe as Das Boot, for instance.

That’s my whole point, though. Just because a movie takes place on a submarine doesn't mean it belongs to the same genre.

Watched it yesterday. It’s nothing but clichés. Predictable plot, and the guy playing the Russian president? Zero charisma. Just a shallow performance.👎
I honestly don't get what Butler was even doing here. He's just been stuck in one bad movie after another lately.
It's basically Steven Seagal meets Last Ship, except they swapped the setting for a submarine.

Frank Moore4 said:I know what you're thinking—people are always going to complain that Gerard Butler basically just spends his career starring in trashy action flicks where he’s constantly playing the hero saving the President or some other high-stakes VIP. But honestly, I went into Hunter Killer yesterday with zero expectations, just looking for something to kill time with, and I have to say, I actually had a blast. It’s this submarine thriller that feels like a mix of the classic Red October vibe and the intensity of 24 (though maybe with a few more plot holes), and it really held its own.



Besides Butler, you’ve got a solid cast including Gary Oldman, Common, and Linda Cardellini. In this one, Gerard is tasked with saving a Russian leader who, if I'm being totally honest, looks exactly like a certain famous American football coach. 🤣🤣🤣🤣



If you're a fan of spy thrillers, naval warfare, or just good old-fashioned American military action, I definitely recommend giving this one a watch. 😁

TRAILER

Well, that's pretty much an established fact at this point. ☕

Lately, stacking one dud on top of another has basically become Butler's trademark—so I have to say, this movie actually caught me by surprise...

Don't get me wrong, the movie is just average—something you watch once and then toss aside—but I have to highlight it because it's one of those rare films this year that was actually watchable. In my book, that’s a massive win, considering you can't say that about at least 95% of everything else coming out.

Mediocrity has unfortunately become the gold standard in the Hollywood film industry. Huge amounts of love are poured into superhero movies that aren't much more than mindless popcorn flicks wrapped in shiny cellophane made of hot actors, stunts, and flashy special effects.

Hardly anyone even thinks about investing money into anything meaningful anymore, unless it's a superhero flick, since other genres just aren't nearly as profitable. That's exactly why we're seeing these increasingly bad years with fewer and fewer decent films. This year, as it winds down, has been pretty meager—if not alarmingly bad...

If things don't change drastically in the film world, even mid-tier productions like Killer Hunter will start becoming rare finds.

Actually, now that I think about it, they already are.

Rip Hollywood.

It’s an entertaining flick, provided you can look past the clichés and the sheer lack of logic... which, let's be honest, are baked into almost every modern action movie now. Without those tropes, they wouldn't even stand a chance in the primary markets they're chasing—the US and Asia.
As far as Butler goes, this might actually be his strongest performance in years.

I honestly forgot I’d even seen this thing. It wasn't until I heard the soundtrack again that a few scenes finally clicked back into place.
As far as I'm concerned, Gerard Butler is basically on my blacklist whenever I'm deciding whether to sit through a movie. I get it, he’s doing it for the paycheck, but does he really have to be that lazy? I don't know.

Solid flick, I'd give it a 3.5/5. Definitely worth a watch if you're into military stuff, even if some of the finer details feel a little unpolished and rough around the edges.

Honestly, I actually dug this movie quite a bit. I figured I’d just ignore some of the nitpicks and just enjoy the ride, you know? It’s such a damn shame we don't get more submarine warfare flicks anymore, especially the ones set during WWII. I mean, there is so much potential for killer movies in that era, but hey, it is what it is. For a one-time watch, it was totally fine if you aren't one of those people constantly looking for flaws where they don't exist.

☕

Honestly, it’s a blast from start to finish. Sure, you might feel like you've seen it all before, but if you're a sucker for submarine warfare, you're gonna have a great time.

Maria Morgan2 said:Honestly, I actually dug this movie quite a bit. I figured I’d just ignore some of the nitpicks and just enjoy the ride, you know? It’s such a damn shame we don't get more submarine warfare flicks anymore, especially the ones set during WWII. I mean, there is so much potential for killer movies in that era, but hey, it is what it is. For a one-time watch, it was totally fine if you aren't one of those people constantly looking for flaws where they don't exist.

☕

Totally agree. It's a bummer, right? Personally, I think it's good enough to watch more than just once.