Only the Brave

Name: Only the Brave
Genre: Biography, Drama
Released: October 20, 2017
Duration: 134 min
Rating: 72
Cast: Alex Russell, Andie MacDowell, Ben Hardy, Geoff Stults, Jake Picking

2017

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 35 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 116 Ratings

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7.4

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7.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 116 Ratings

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Only The Brave: Jeff Bridges On His Character

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Movie Details & Credits

Lionsgate | Release Date: October 20, 2017 | PG-13

Starring: Alex Russell, Andie MacDowell, Ben Hardy, Geoff Stults, Jake Picking, James Badge Dale, Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Connelly, Josh Brolin, Leana Lewis, Lora Martinez-Cunningham, Lulu Jovovich, Miles Teller, Natalie Hall, Scott Haze, Taylor Kitsch, Thad Luckinbill

Summary: All men are created equal... then, a few become firefighters. Only the Brave, based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, is the heroic story of one unit of local firefighters that through hope, determination, sacrifice, and the drive to protect families, communities, and our country become one of the most elite firefightingAll men are created equal... then, a few become firefighters. Only the Brave, based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, is the heroic story of one unit of local firefighters that through hope, determination, sacrifice, and the drive to protect families, communities, and our country become one of the most elite firefighting teams in the country. As most of us run from danger, they run toward it - they watch over our lives, our homes, everything we hold dear, as they forge a unique brotherhood that comes into focus with one fateful fire.… Expand

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Genre(s): Biography, Drama

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 134 min

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Awards & Rankings

100	#100 Most Discussed Movie of 2017

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Bilge Ebiri

Oct 11, 2017

Only the Brave is a visually splendid, spellbinding, and surreal movie that also happens to be an emotionally shattering, over-the-top ugly-cry for the ages. Read full review

Richard Roeper

Oct 18, 2017

It plays like a classic military story about soldiers from various walks of life who bond as brothers. Read full review

Vince Mancini

Dec 4, 2017

Only The Brave (or, The Granite Mountain Hot Shots, the vastly superior title by which it was originally known), feels like the world’s best two-hour beer and/or pick-up truck commercial, and I mean that as a compliment. Read full review

Tom Russo

Oct 18, 2017

The film concerns itself more with beauty shots of the region’s rugged, intimidating vastness than with “Backdraft”-rivaling imagery of combustion as art. Read full review

Kenneth Turan

Oct 19, 2017

While Only the Brave is consistently involving and entertaining, that desire to be accurate about a heroic reality proves to be an at times awkward fit with the conventions of this kind of earnest and old-fashioned Hollywood film. Read full review

Marjorie Baumgarten

Oct 18, 2017

Josh Brolin has rarely been better than in this role as the team’s leader, Eric Marsh. Read full review

John Nugent

Nov 13, 2017

A salt-of-the-earth tale that’ll play well in red states, but offers little spark. Read full review

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User Reviews

jasharkowalski

Nov 11, 2017

Didn't expect much when i went to the cinema tonight, but boy, how wrong i was! This is a real gem that nobody should miss ! I have worked along the real US firefighters, i have seen that spirit and this film captured that close-to-madness zeal and knowing that you are doing the right thing.Didn't expect much when i went to the cinema tonight, but boy, how wrong i was! This is a real gem that nobody should miss ! I have worked along the real US firefighters, i have seen that spirit and this film captured that close-to-madness zeal and knowing that you are doing the right thing. Go and see the film, this is the best thing along with the Wind River release in the movies at the moment !… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

AnnOnoma

Oct 21, 2017

This film beautifully addresses themes of honor, character, perseverance, personal responsibility and community that are sorely wanting in the Weinstein Hollywood. More stories like this one and you might just return your books to the black. Bravo.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Compi24

Oct 24, 2017

Like other, fact-based dramas that we've seen in the theater as of late ("Deepwater Horizon," "Patriots Day," "Stronger," "Sully," etc.), "Only The Brave" is yet another carefully constructed, emotionally resonant look at an event that - quite frankly - every human being should know moreLike other, fact-based dramas that we've seen in the theater as of late ("Deepwater Horizon," "Patriots Day," "Stronger," "Sully," etc.), "Only The Brave" is yet another carefully constructed, emotionally resonant look at an event that - quite frankly - every human being should know more about. Though most of the film relies on building up the characters and world, there's just this air of authenticity to the film that honestly makes it all that much more enjoyable and rewarding to watch in the end. From the incredibly well-crafted performances and relationships established between characters, to the respectful and majestic visuals brought to you by director Joseph Koskinski and cinematographer Claudio Miranda, "Only The Brave" easily climbs its earnest way up onto the list of 2017's best movies.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

BengalsfanAZ

Feb 18, 2018

This was a great movie that honored the lives of those firemen who lost theirs. I do not know if the backstories on each character are accurate but I would like to think that the movie-makers did their homework when creating a movie that is so close to so many people's hearts. I am sureThis was a great movie that honored the lives of those firemen who lost theirs. I do not know if the backstories on each character are accurate but I would like to think that the movie-makers did their homework when creating a movie that is so close to so many people's hearts. I am sure the story is "hollywoodized" but I would like to think that it is pretty accurate. They do an excellent job of casting and the actors own the parts well. I can testify that most of the scenes, if not all, are shot on location because I live in AZ and have been to some of these places. They did a great job of capturing the feelings involved in this tragic incident and honoring those involved.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

GreatMartin

Oct 25, 2017

“Only the Brave” is not the sort of movie I would go to see but I did and I will tell all others who wouldn’t go see a picture like this go for it and those who are into films like this you got a winner!

Aside from being pure entertainment, along with suspense and based on a true story,“Only the Brave” is not the sort of movie I would go to see but I did and I will tell all others who wouldn’t go see a picture like this go for it and those who are into films like this you got a winner!

Aside from being pure entertainment, along with suspense and based on a true story, this is also educational in many ways regarding fires and fighting them. It certainly was for me and far from being boring.

Though Josh Brolin almost always gets excellent reviews he doesn’t seem to be able to get to the highest level of stardom and he deserves to as his role as the real Eric Marsh shows that he does.

“Only the Brave” is the true story of the ‘Granite Mountain Hotshots’ who fought a fire in Arizona in 2013 that killed more firefighters at one time except for 9/11.

With a team of 20 men plus spouses, kids, in-laws, friends, it is pretty hard to get to know everyone in this 2 hours plus film but we met enough of the men and their interactions plus a few of the ‘civilians’ that draw you into every moment of the film and the people involved.

Yes there is a Hollywood cliché here and there but even they ring true. The fire scenes and how quickly a fire can overtake acres of land and the many ways firefighters end, or at least delay, the destruction fire can do are total.

Just watching this film as the California fires rage on taking everything in its way makes this a must see film to understand what is happening there.

I knew very little about the real story this is based on but the screenplay by Ken Nolan and Eric Warren Singer, along with the directing by Joseph Kosinski and the production values, especially the fire scenes, along with the excellent cast, makes it all real.

“Only the Brave” is such a good movie that not a person left the auditorium during the end credits even after they showed the real firefighters and who played them.

Be sure to see this film on a movie screen to get the full effect of the firefighters, the fires and what made these men so brave!

Cast: Josh Brolin, Jennifer Connelly, Jeff Bridges, Mills Tyler, James Badge Dale, Taylor Kitsch

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Screenwriters: Ken Nolan, Eric Warren Singer

PG-13 2 hours 13 minutes… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

netflic

Nov 15, 2017

This inspirational movie is not fiction. It is based on a true story of
a fire team "Granite Mountain Hotshots" from Prescott, Arizona.
The movie is quite long and drags at times. But it is necessary to create an atmosphere of the Arizona town and delve into protagonists' lives. I did notThis inspirational movie is not fiction. It is based on a true story of
a fire team "Granite Mountain Hotshots" from Prescott, Arizona.

The movie is quite long and drags at times. But it is necessary to create an atmosphere of the Arizona town and delve into protagonists' lives.

I did not know the story of that particular fire team and was not ready for amount of dramatism at the end.

This will be more of an analyses than a review.

Pluses:
- targeting a wide audience;
- great casting;
- very good performances;
- excellent visuals;
- extremely emotional ending.

Minuses:
- cliches;
- minor episodes not realistic;
- as I already mentioned, a bit too long.

Overall, a good powerful movie, worth seeing.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Rebecca31

Nov 19, 2017

Here's another "Based on the Incredible True Story" movie so get the tissues ready. I'm getting real sick of all these horrific true story movies that tries its very hardest to reduce you to a blubbering mess by the end of it. After a while they all start to morph into one so while watchingHere's another "Based on the Incredible True Story" movie so get the tissues ready. I'm getting real sick of all these horrific true story movies that tries its very hardest to reduce you to a blubbering mess by the end of it. After a while they all start to morph into one so while watching Only The Brave I couldn't help but feel like I've seen this exact movie before. Only instead of an oil rig it's a wild fire.

This particular true story biopic focuses on the Granite Mountain Hotshots. A tragic story and although the last ten minutes is perhaps the most intense scene in these based on true events movies I only wish I could say the same for the rest of the film. So formulaic it hurts, squeezing in as many overly sentimental scenes of the main characters and their families as it possibly can. And just in case you're not already crying by the end let's not forget the pictures of the real victims saved for the credits. Before they become certified Hotshots we get to meet them as best mates and after twenty minutes in I stopped counting how many times I was hearing the words dude and bro. Just to further drive home the fact that they're such great friends with the best supervisor ever, enter Josh Brolin. Now let's meet Miles Teller, the outsider, the one with the drug problem and has now just had a daughter. Trying to make himself a better person he joins the team and the bromance continues. It moves from scene to scene in a series of mediocre acting and a badly paced story. With the exception of Teller and Brolin every other firefighter was almost a copy and paste of one another and it reduces any character who isn't a Hotshot into a prop. Overly dramatic and cheesy, if there was a way to tell this story onscreen this certainly wasn't it. I lost interest very early on and only regained it towards the end. Not recommended.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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