Cliffhanger (1993): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Cliffhanger is a 1993 action thriller directed by Renny Harlin, starring Sylvester Stallone and John Lithgow. It runs 1 hour 52 minutes and earned $255 million worldwide on a $70 million budget. It was nominated for 3 Oscars. Critics gave it 68% on Rotten Tomatoes and 59 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.5/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 52m (112 min)
- Director
- Renny Harlin
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- TriStar Pictures
- Budget
- $70M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Cliffhanger About?
The premise of Cliffhanger without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
While scaling the Rocky Mountains, a former mountain rescuer is drawn into a dangerous situation when a seemingly simple rescue mission uncovers a ruthless gang of thieves. They are desperate to recover their stolen treasure, worth $100 million, and will stop at nothing to get it back. He must use all his skills to survive against the gang in the treacherous mountain terrain.
Cliffhanger Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- rock climbing
- avalanche
- search and rescue
- guilt
- falling to death
- tragic event
- mountain
- snow
- heist
- villain
- loss of loved one
- tough guy
+38 more Show fewer
- airplane hijack
- exploding airplane
- exploding helicopter
- criminal gang
- mountain climbing
- helicopter
- wilderness
- time bomb
- airplane hijacking
- explosion
- snowstorm
- parachute
- airplane
- falling off a cliff
- rope bridge
- woman in jeopardy
- cliff ledge
- falling through ice
- hostage
- courage
- rocky mountains
- action hero
- hero
- rabbit
- cave
- base jumping
- redemption
- chase
- bat
- airplane crash
- traitor
- u.s. treasury agent
- international criminal
- stabbed in the leg
- mountain rescue unit
- rescue helicopter
- loss of girlfriend
- falling from height
Cliffhanger Cast
Sylvester Stallone leads the cast, with John Lithgow. Directed by Renny Harlin.
-
Director Renny Harlin
More from Renny Harlin
More films directed by Renny Harlin, best-rated first: Bodies at Rest, Die Hard 2, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master and Deep Blue Sea.
Cliffhanger Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Cliffhanger 68% on Rotten Tomatoes and 59 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.5/10.
-
IMDb 6.5 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 68% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 53%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 59 Metascore
User score 6.8
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 65% User score
See on TMDB
Cliffhanger Plot Summary
What happens in Cliffhanger from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Rangers Gabriel “Gabe” Walker (Sylvester Stallone) and Jessie Deighan (Janine Turner) embark on a perilous mission to save their friend Hal Tucker (Michael Rooker) and his girlfriend, Sarah (Michelle Joyner). After Hal suffers a knee injury while climbing, they find themselves stranded at a peak in the stunning Colorado Rockies. The rescue takes a tragic turn when part of Sarah’s harness breaks, leading to a horrific fall that leaves Gabe deeply traumatized and consumed by guilt for Sarah’s death, which Hal harshly blames on him.
Full summary
The whole story of Cliffhanger, scene by scene
Cliffhanger Box Office & Budget
Cliffhanger grossed $255 million worldwide on a $70 million budget, 3.6 times what it cost. $84 million came from the US and Canada and $171 million (67%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$255M
3.6× its budget
- US & Canada
- $84M
- International
- $171M
- Budget
- $70M
Cliffhanger Awards & Nominations
Cliffhanger was nominated for 3 Oscars.
3 nominations1 ceremony
-
Oscars 1994 3 nominations- Nominated Sound
- Nominated Sound Effects Editing
- Nominated Visual Effects
Cliffhanger Trailers & Videos
6 videos: 2 trailers and 4 clips.
- Trailer Theatrical Trailer
- Clip The Avalanche | Cliffhanger with Sylvester Stallone
- Clip Sarah's Fall | Cliffhanger with Sylvester Stallone
- Clip The Mountain Brawl | Cliffhanger with Sylvester Stallone & Craig Fairbrass
How Well Do You Know Cliffhanger?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who plays the role of Gabe Walker?
Cars in Cliffhanger
11 cars on screen, including the 1971 Land-Rover 109'' Series III Station Wagon and the 1981 Ford Bronco.
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1971 Land-Rover 109'' Series III Station Wagon Important role -
1981 Ford Bronco Minor role -
Jeep CJ-7 Minor role -
1983 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer Background role
Cliffhanger Also Known As
37 alternative titles, including “Скалолаз” and “Cliffhanger - Nur die Starken überleben”.
- Also known as
-
- Скалолаз
- Cliffhanger - Nur die Starken überleben
- Cliffhanger - Svindlande avgrund
- Cliffhanger: På kanten av stupet
- 絕嶺雄風
- 绝岭雄风
- 클리프행어 리마스터드
- Cliffhanger - L'ultima sfida
- Cliffhanger : Traque au sommet
- Dağcı
- Máximo riesgo
- Na Krawędzi
+25 more Show fewer
- Cliffhanger - på kanten av stupet
- Cliffhanger - Függő játszma
- Алпиниста
- Βαρομετρικό Χαμηλό
- Assalto Infernal
- صخره نورد
- クリフハンガー
- Скелелаз
- 클리프행어
- סחרור מסוכן
- Màxim risc
- Risco Total
- Катерачът
- La Falaise de la mort
- Cliffhanger - kuilun partaalla, მთამსვლელი
- Riesgo Total
- Luptă la înălțime
- Plezalec
- 巔峰戰士
- Alpinistas
- ไต่ระห่ำนรก
- Cheo Leo Vách Núi
- Klinšu kāpējs
- Alpinist
- शिखरपुत्र
Seen Cliffhanger?
Movies Like Cliffhanger
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Vertical Limit, The Ledge and Fall.
Cliffhanger FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Cliffhanger, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Cliffhanger?
Cliffhanger runs 1 hour 52 minutes (112 minutes).
When was Cliffhanger released?
Cliffhanger was released on May 28, 1993.
Who directed Cliffhanger?
Cliffhanger was directed by Renny Harlin.
More films by Renny Harlin Who is in the cast of Cliffhanger?
Cliffhanger stars Sylvester Stallone and John Lithgow.
How much did Cliffhanger make at the box office?
Cliffhanger grossed $255 million worldwide ($84 million domestic, $171 million international) on a budget of $70 million.
How is Cliffhanger rated?
Cliffhanger has 6.5/10 on IMDb, 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, 59 on Metacritic and 65% on TMDB.
Was Cliffhanger nominated for any awards?
Cliffhanger received 3 nominations across 1 ceremony.
Does Cliffhanger have a post-credit scene?
No. Cliffhanger has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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