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Action thriller

The Command (2019): Cast, Ratings & Box Office

The Command (2019) movie poster

The Command is a 2019 action thriller directed by Thomas Vinterberg, starring Bjarne Henriksen as Russian Rescue Ship Captain, Max von Sydow and Colin Firth. It runs 1 hour 57 minutes and earned $6.8 million worldwide. Critics gave it 72% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Rotten Tomatoes
72%
worldwide gross
$6.8M
Echo Score
69
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The Command (2019) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 57m (117 min)
Genres
Action , Drama , History , Thriller
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Command About?

The premise of The Command without spoilers.

While submerged in the Barents Sea, the Russian submarine Kursk suffers a devastating explosion, leading to a desperate race against time. Twenty-three crew members are trapped within the crippled vessel as a large-scale rescue operation is launched. Facing dwindling hope and critical time constraints, the survivors struggle to stay alive while rescuers work to reach them in the depths of the ocean.

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Cast & crew

The Command Cast & Characters

Bjarne Henriksen leads the cast as Russian Rescue Ship Captain, with Max von Sydow as Vladimir Petrenko and Colin Firth as Commodore David Russell. Directed by Thomas Vinterberg; 14 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Command

· 10 more
From the director

More from Thomas Vinterberg

More films directed by Thomas Vinterberg, best-rated first: Another Round, The Celebration, The Hunt and Far from the Madding Crowd.

Full filmography
Ratings

The Command Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave The Command 72% on Rotten Tomatoes. Our Echo Score gives it 69/100, strongest in art & craft (75) and weakest in story & flow (60).

69 /100

The Command Echo Score Breakdown

Overall, The Command delivers a focused yet restrained portrayal of a submarine disaster, balancing committed acting with a tension-filled structure. The film’s disciplined pacing and authentic production design ground the narrative in a believable world, and the musical score underscores key emotional beats. However, the plot often adheres to familiar survival-drama conventions and visual choices remain modest rather than bold. As a result, the movie offers a competently crafted experience that resonates intermittently but rarely transcends genre expectations.

Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.

  • Art & Craft 75

    In terms of art and craft, The Command demonstrates solid production design and careful editing but rarely achieves striking visual moments. The submarine sets feel authentic and editing supports the tension, yet the color palette remains subdued and the cinematography avoids bold compositions. Overall, the film’s craftsmanship is competent and maintains atmosphere without fully capitalizing on more dramatic visual potential.

  • Character & Emotion 70

    When it comes to character and emotion, performances are consistently committed and lend credibility to the submarine ordeal. Lead and supporting actors convey frustration and fear with restraint, though some character arcs lack depth and secondary figures remain underdeveloped. Emotional resonance peaks in key tragic moments but occasionally feels muted. The net effect is a believable ensemble that could benefit from richer characterization.

  • Story & Flow 60

    In terms of story and flow, the film follows a conventional survival drama structure with intermittent tension. The pacing is measured, building suspense effectively in set-piece moments, yet several narrative beats feel predictable and anticlimactic. The screenplay touches on procedural bureaucracy but does not always integrate these sequences smoothly. As a result, story engagement fluctuates, delivering compelling scenes alongside more routine developments.

  • Sensory Experience 75

    Regarding the sensory experience, Alexandre Desplat’s score enriches the atmospheric tension with subtle thematic motifs, while sound design accentuates claustrophobic elements. Visual cohesion is maintained through a muted color scheme, though this choice limits moments of visual dynamism. Overall, the film offers a polished audio-visual environment that effectively supports the narrative mood without pushing stylistic boundaries.

  • Rewatch Factor 65

    With respect to rewatch factor, The Command has enough narrative tension and authentic performances to merit a second viewing, particularly for those interested in submarine dramas. However, its conventional structure and muted visual impact may diminish replay appeal. While certain sequences hold lasting impact, the overall experience is unlikely to offer new insights on subsequent viewings for most audiences.

Box office

The Command Box Office

The Command grossed $6.8 million worldwide.

2019 box office

Worldwide gross

$6.8M

International
$6.8M
Videos

The Command Trailers & Videos

The trailer of The Command.

The Breitner Commando / Qu'un sang impur... (2020) - Teaser (French)
Details

The Command Also Known As

21 alternative titles, including “Kursk: The Last Mission” and “Atrapados: Una historia verdadera”.

Also known as
  • Kursk: The Last Mission
  • Atrapados: Una historia verdadera
  • Kursk - Niemand hat eine Ewigkeit
  • Курск
  • Kursk: Η Τελευταία Αποστολή
  • Курск - проклетство дубине
  • גיבורים במצולות
  • 潛行浩劫96小時
  • Kurszk
  • 쿠르스크
  • 库尔斯克
  • 庫爾斯克號:深海救援, კურსკი
+9 more
  • Курськ
  • Kursk: A Última Missão
  • Kurska
  • کورسک
  • Kurskas
  • Kursk: Chiến Dịch Tàu Ngầm
  • คูร์สหนีตายโคตรนรกรัสเซีย
  • 潜水艦クルスクの生存者たち
  • Comanda

Seen The Command?

FAQ

The Command FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of The Command, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Command?

The Command runs 1 hour 57 minutes (117 minutes).

When was The Command released?

The Command was released on June 21, 2019.

Who directed The Command?

The Command was directed by Thomas Vinterberg.

More films by Thomas Vinterberg

Who is in the cast of The Command?

The Command stars Bjarne Henriksen as Russian Rescue Ship Captain, Max von Sydow as Vladimir Petrenko and Colin Firth as Commodore David Russell, among 14 credited actors.

How much did The Command make at the box office?

The Command grossed $6.8 million worldwide.

How is The Command rated?

The Command has 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, 56% on TMDB and 3.2/5 on Letterboxd.

Does The Command have a post-credit scene?

No. The Command has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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