Rent Kursk: The Last Mission (2018)

Good in parts - Kursk: The Last Mission review by SB

Like some others I would have preferred that this film be done in Russian with subtitles rather than English, although the effect is less discordant than might have been the case. Some of the film is conjecture, which is fair enough when the full facts may never be known. The scene-setting is done fairly well, and also the increase in tension after the accident and the rescue attempts. But 'Das Boot' this is not. It's telling that the most effective scenes by far are those with the families rather than those with the crew on board. Colin Firth plays his usual slightly pompous commander figure, and is perhaps given too much screen time.

A Moving Film with Good Performances - Kursk: The Last Mission review by CD

This film does a good job in bringing out the personal side of the Kursk tragedy and the bond between the men and between their families waiting on the shore. The difficulty that the leaders in the hierarchy had in communicating what was happening and in accepting any help comes across well. The claustrophobic and perilous environment in the sub is well shot and the main actors are strong. The heroism of the Russian crew comes through strongly, and the film avoids a simplistic judgement on the tragedy and the attempts at rescue.

Life is Cheap - Kursk: The Last Mission review by CP Customer

A interesting film covering what is a documented disaster in the Barents Sea off the USSR Oscar class submarine KURSK sank during the first major USSR naval exercise in ten years, on the 12th August 2000.  After failed attempts to rescue the crew they Russian Navy had to turn too late to the Royal Navy to assist them but after all the prevarication and false information being fed to the families of the crew.  A thought provoking film and could it happen again?

Tragic true story - Kursk: The Last Mission review by AC

I though this was told very well in a un-glossy way, perhaps because it wasn't a Hollywood re-telling. This was obviously a tragic event and the film fills that out with not just focusing on the event itself but, adding a bit off background to the characters, the crewmen of the sub. It was a good cast, with a couple German actors who I recognized, although I didn't know their names. Altogether good.

A horrible & claustrophobic film which shows the indifference of the Russian leadership - Kursk: The Last Mission review by TB

Many people will have either forgotten or had never heard of the Kursk submarine tragedy which gripped the world back in 2000. During a naval exercise, a missile on the Kursk submarine exploded, killing a huge number of men inside the submarine and leaving many others stranded and waiting for rescue with the air running out.

And on the surface, the Russian government stonewalled, blocked help and refused to do anything. This is one of those films where the less you know, the more you get out of it, although there is a horrific thread of doom running through the whole movie.

The cast are good, although the story itself at times was a bit poorly told. The film had a habit of building up tension wonderfully, then changing scene and losing that momentum. There was also the sense that the filmmakers had really cut out a lot of interesting events in order to make the film the length it was. This story would make an incredible series, like in the vein of Chernobyl.

A good effort, but in many ways a missed opportunity.