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Cliffhanger

Play trailer 1:56 Poster for Cliffhanger R 1993 1h 52m Action Adventure Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
67% Tomatometer 57 Reviews 53% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Outdoor thriller in which a former mountain rescuer is pitted against a group of criminals who have lost their $100 million stash during a plane crash in the Rocky Mountains. After being persuaded to help rescue a group of stranded hikers, he discovers that they are in fact a gang of violent robbers who need help to locate their missing loot.
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Cliffhanger

Cliffhanger

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Critics Consensus

While it can't escape comparisons to the movies it borrows from, Cliffhanger is a tense, action-packed thriller and a showcase for the talents that made Sylvester Stallone a star.

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Critics Reviews

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Norman Wilner Toronto Star Mar 5
After a terrific pair of opening sequences, the film settles into the predictable cat-and-mouse rhythm of all the other Die Hard Clones, where the lone hero struggles against insurmountable odds to defeat his Eurotrash nemesis. Go to Full Review
David Ansen Newsweek 04/10/2018
Cliffhanger does its damnedest to see that the audience gets its money's worth of thrills. But for all the state-of-the-art stunt work, the movie has little personality; it's ice cream without flavor. Go to Full Review
Christopher Harris Globe and Mail 08/03/2013
3/4
it has truly awe-inspiring stunts and special effects and many of its suspense sequences will leave you with your heart in your mouth. Go to Full Review
Patrick Hicks Feelin' Film Podcast 01/08/2024
4/5
Big alpine action with megastar Sylvester Stallone taking on dual thieving villains in a treacherous mountain setting makes this a defining 90s movie thriller, full of quotable one-liners and memorable set pieces and kills. Go to Full Review
Fedor Tot Vague Visages 06/13/2023
What I would give for more films with Cliffhanger’s sense of scale and spectacle. Go to Full Review
Alistair Lawrence Common Sense Media 06/09/2021
2/5
The main thing that lets Cliffhanger down is a plot as thin as the high-altitude air that surrounds it. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Johnathon W @Hoppynsc Jul 15 Solid thriller that makes for one of Stallone's better films, thanks to a superb supporting cast and atmospheric direction from Renny Harling. The cast is solid, with Stallone his usual best in as an action lead and in a nice break, not an unstoppable killing machine (he's a climber, not a fighter, and gets his butt handed to him with in a fight with a training solider). He gets great support, especially John Lithgow as the villain, Qualen, whose intelligence only matches his ruthlessness. Behind the camera, director Renny Harlin crafts a stylish thriller and makes great use of the mountain setting. The plot is a bit outrageous and generic but ends up a lot of fun. Overall, a solid action flick that revived Stallone's career in the 90's. See more W.L. C. @WayneCampbell Apr 30 ...okay, look. This came out when I was 12, so it fits right in that sweet spot of my formative years, and my rating is likely due mostly to nostalgia. All the same, this movie is a damn fun ride from beginning to end, and one of Renny Harlin's finest. In 4K, there's no argument that the cinematography is stunning, and the practical effects are outstanding (yes, even the plane transfer, which is 100% in-camera). John Lithgow gives a masterclass in evil, and Rex Linn is at his best as Agent Travers. Sly even sells the climbing scenes. It was one of my faves 33 years ago, and it still holds up in 2026. Remake be damned, the original is a timeless action classic. Buy it, keep it on the shelf, and watch it once a year. See more Kyle F. @RT62663011 Feb 22 Get this audience score up! Not perfect, but they don’t make movies like this anymore. One of Stallone’s best! Come on people, be better!! See more Steven C. @yankeewolf54 Feb 16 Terrible writing and special effects Terrible plot and such phony story line 2stars for the scenery See more Stephen C @bob25009 Dec 10 Success in 01 hour, 52 minutes, and 45 seconds. Ages 17 and older. See more Taiga B @Taiga 08/07/2025 This may be one of Stallone's better movies. The over the top explosions and gun play is limited to a minimum, creating a more polished and grounded in reality movie. The special effects and stunts are incredible, showing the harsh conditions of the Colorado mountains. A scene that starts off the movie shows that Stallone is not this invisible character, showing vulnerability. This is why 90's action movies are some of the best for that genre. See more Read all reviews
Cliffhanger

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Cliffhanger

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Movie Info

Synopsis Outdoor thriller in which a former mountain rescuer is pitted against a group of criminals who have lost their $100 million stash during a plane crash in the Rocky Mountains. After being persuaded to help rescue a group of stranded hikers, he discovers that they are in fact a gang of violent robbers who need help to locate their missing loot.
Director
Renny Harlin
Producer
Alan Marshall
Screenwriter
Michael France, Sylvester Stallone
Distributor
TriStar Pictures
Production Co
Canal+, Carolco Pictures Inc.
Rating
R
Genre
Action, Adventure, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 28, 1993, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
May 8, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$80.5M
Runtime
1h 52m
Sound Mix
Surround
Aspect Ratio
Digital 2.39:1
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