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300

300

Prepare for glory!

2006117 minRMidcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Director
Zack Snyder
Starring
Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West, David Wenham

A story very loosely based the 480 B.C. Battle of Thermopylae, where the King of Sparta led his army against the advancing Persians.

Where to watch

Where can I watch 300?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists 300 streaming on Paramount+ and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about 300?

300 earns 16 badges, led by Cultural touchstone and Top 10% in Action.

Show 8 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is 300 worth watching?

300's Midcredits score is the 88th percentile of all films, from 1.6M ratings across 6 sources. 78% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

88th percentile

Better received than 88% of films

94th percentile among Action87th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)85th
Approval (how many liked it)88th

72 /100

85th percentile of all films

93rd percentile among Action85th percentile among 2000s

Critics 52 · Audience 74

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

78% liked it

88th percentile of all films

92nd percentile among Action87th percentile among 2000s
78% rated it 7–1022% rated it 1–6

Critics 61% · Audience 89%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 17 wins / 57 noms overall

99th percentile

1.6M ratings across platforms

98th percentile among Action99th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 2% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$65M
Opening weekend$71M
Domestic gross$211M
Worldwide gross$456M

Returned 7.0× its budget — 96th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A visually spectacular, style-over-substance epic driven by hyper-stylized action rather than story or character depth.

Fans praised

  • Stunning, painterly CGI visuals and stylized slow-motion battles
  • Gerard Butler's commanding, passionate performance as Leonidas
  • Adrenaline-fueled pacing and visceral, balletic action choreography

Detractors panned

  • One-dimensional characters and paper-thin plot
  • Historically inaccurate and politically simplistic xenophobia
  • Clichéd, heavy-handed dialogue and homoerotic posturing

What stands out

Cinematography85

Stunning, painterly compositions and inventive slow-motion shots

Effects and spectacle82

Impressive CGI backdrops, battle setpieces, and creature design; some find overreliance on green screen

AtmosphereDivisive75

Immersion into a stylized, blood-drenched ancient world; detractors find it claustrophobic

PacingDivisive70

Relentless, fast-paced momentum; few detractors find it plodding or monotonous

ActingDivisive68

Gerard Butler praised as commanding and passionate; detractors find overacting and one-dimensionality

DialogueDivisive40

Campy, quotable one-liners entertain some, but majority find clichéd and simplistic

CharactersDivisive35

Spartans celebrated as archetypal heroes but universally seen as flat with no depth

Plot and story30

Simple, minimal story — fans accept it as premise for action, detractors condemn as absent

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 13 points higher than women.

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 14 points higher than under-30s.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 11 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is 300 like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you fired up. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
ThrillingTenseTriumphantMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Epic · 2% of films: Vast in scale: big landscapes, big stakes, a long span.Exuberant · 2% of films: Bursting with energy and joy in its own filmmaking.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents its material with absolute seriousness and epic grandeur, never winking at the audience.
The rideThe film is a near-constant adrenaline surge of tense, thrilling battle, with a triumphant but tragic undertow that settles into melancholic sacrifice by the end.
StructureThe story unfolds in a straightforward chronological manner from King Leonidas' decision to fight through the battles to the tragic end and epilogue.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Fired up.

Rousing · 10% of filmsBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's heroic last stand and defiant speeches leave many viewers inspired, yet the knowledge of the inevitable sacrifice creates a bittersweet, sobering aftereffect.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe Spartans' stand against Xerxes' invading army is a classic overcoming_the_monster archetype, with the Persian king as the tyrant.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfLoyaltyBonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5% (this title)
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% (this title) · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Loyalty · 4% of filmsFreedom · 5% of filmsSacrifice · 4% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe story is about the loyalty of the Spartans to their king, to each other, and to their city-state, and what they are willing to sacrifice for freedom.
StanceThe film celebrates the loyalty and sacrifice of the Spartans as a heroic ideal, framing their stand as a glorious defense of freedom against tyranny.

The world

AncientWildernessInstitutionalStylized realism
Orchestral modernElectronicForeground music · original score · Tyler Bates
SettingThe Hot Gates of Thermopylae and the Spartan council chamber
MusicThe score blends pounding drums, choir, and electronic elements to amplify the epic, aggressive tone.

Content guide

Is 300 okay for kids?

R

300 is rated R: “Rated R for graphic battle sequences throughout, some sexuality and nudity” (MPAA). As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (94/100), sexual content at intense (76/100), language at mild (26/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (8/100) and frightening material at severe (86/100). Overall it is heavier than 82% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 25 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland15A
  • New ZealandR16
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil16
  • Belgium18
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Greece15
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • Poland18
  • PortugalM/16
  • RO15
  • Russia16+
  • SK15
  • Spain18
  • Sweden15
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 89% of all filmsHeavier than 82% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 93%
Sex & Nudity
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 94%
Profanity
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 4%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 2%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 88%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence, frightening material, and sexual content. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does 300 have?

MovieCove's classifier found 7 depicted content warnings in 300: Death of a child (severe), Gore or body horror (severe), Animal death (moderate), Child abuse (moderate), Kidnapping or confinement (moderate), plus 2 withheld here because they would spoil the plot. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereDeath of a childGore or body horror
ModerateAnimal deathChild abuseKidnapping or confinement

Cast and crew

Who is in 300?

Cast

Gerard Butler
as Leonidas
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Lena Headey
as Gorgo
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Dominic West
as Theron
David Wenham
as Dilios
Vincent Regan
as Captain
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.
Michael Fassbender
as Stelios
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Tom Wisdom
as Astinos
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Andrew Pleavin
as Daxos
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Andrew Tiernan
as Ephialtes
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Rodrigo Santoro
as Xerxes

Crew

More like this

What are movies like 300?

Movies like 300 include 300: Rise of an Empire (2014), Immortals (2011) and Act of Valor (2012). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films written by Zack Snyder, and half are films set in ancient times.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

7 of these 12 share its world: war epic. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with 300?

813 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: war epic. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.