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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Empires are built on fear. Rebellions are built on hope.

2016133 minPG-13Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Director
Gareth Edwards
Starring
Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen

A rogue band of resistance fighters unite for a mission to steal the Death Star plans and bring a new hope to the galaxy.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Rogue One: A Star Wars Story?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Rogue One: A Star Wars Story streaming on Disney+ and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Rogue One: A Star Wars Story?

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story earns 10 badges, led by Modern classic and Top 5% of films.

Show 2 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story worth watching?

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story's Midcredits score is the 96th percentile of all films, from 2.5M ratings across 6 sources. 86% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

96th percentile

Better received than 96% of films

98th percentile among Action97th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)93rd
Approval (how many liked it)96th

76 /100

93rd percentile of all films

97th percentile among Action93rd percentile among 2010s

Critics 65 · Audience 77

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

86% liked it

96th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Action96th percentile among 2010s
86% rated it 7–1014% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 2 Oscar noms · 23 wins / 77 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Visual Effects

83rd percentile

2.5M ratings across platforms

72nd percentile among Action84th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 3% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$200M
Opening weekend$155M
Domestic gross$534M
Worldwide gross$1.1B

Returned 5.3× its budget — 99th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A gritty war movie set in the Star Wars universe that prioritizes spectacle and sacrifice over character depth.

Fans praised

  • Dark, war-film tone with real stakes and sacrifice
  • Stunning visual effects and battle sequences
  • K-2SO's dry humor and Chirrut Imwe's quiet mysticism

Detractors panned

  • Underdeveloped characters with no emotional connection
  • Jarring CGI recreations of Tarkin and Leia
  • Rushed pacing in the first act, disjointed planet-hopping

What stands out

Effects and spectacleDivisive88

Breathtaking space and ground battles; convincing new ships and planets

EndingDivisive85

Bittersweet conclusion; Vader hallway scene iconic; Leia CGI divisive

CinematographyDivisive82

Gorgeous, gritty photography; sweeping battle vistas and practical sets

ActingDivisive72

Solid ensemble; Felicity Jones and Diego Luna praised, but detractors call leads bland

Emotional impactDivisive72

Noble sacrifices resonate for fans; flat for those unattached to characters

Plot and storyDivisive65

Simple heist story bridges Episode III and IV; predictable but coherent

CharactersDivisive55

K-2SO and Chirrut stand out, but Jyn and Cassian underdeveloped

PacingDivisive55

Slow first half, rushed planet-hopping; spectacular third act

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men 6 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 3 points apart
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 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 and leaves you bittersweet. 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
TenseThrillingMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Dry humor
Register
Epic · 2% of films: Vast in scale: big landscapes, big stakes, a long span.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its war story with gravity and respect, never undercutting the stakes.
The rideThe film maintains high tension throughout, escalating into thrilling action sequences, with a melancholic weight concentrated in its climactic sacrifice.
StructureThe story follows a conventional linear structure from setup to mission to conclusion.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe sacrifice of the characters leaves a bittersweet feeling, but the successful theft of the plans provides hope for the Rebellion.
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).QuestMission
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · 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% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% (this title) · 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%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Mission: Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).

10% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe film follows a diverse group of rebels on a mission to steal the Death Star plans, a clear quest with a defined objective.

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 filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • 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%
  • 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% (this title) · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsSacrifice · 4% of filmsHope · 5% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Cosmic stakes: Consequences reach beyond the world.Single lead
How it treats its themeJyn's journey is driven by her relationship with her father Galen, whose sacrifice and hidden message lead her to embrace the rebellion's cause.
StanceThe film affirms the power of family bonds and sacrifice to fuel hope for a rebellion, even in the face of overwhelming odds.

The world

TimelessOuter spaceWildernessInstitutionalScience fiction
Orchestral classicalForeground music · original score · Michael Giacchino
SettingThe Star Wars galaxy during the Imperial era, spanning Lah'Mu, Jedha, Eadu, and Scarif.
MusicGiacchino composed the score, integrating classic Star Wars themes with new material that echoes the film's war-film tone.

Content guide

Is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story okay for kids?

PG-13

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of sci-fi violence and action” (MPAA). As of August 18, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (61/100), sexual content at minimal (5/100), language at minimal (4/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (6/100) and frightening material at moderate (60/100). Overall it is heavier than 54% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 30 other countries
  • UK12A
  • CanadaPG
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland12A
  • New ZealandM
  • JapanG
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil12
  • Austria12
  • Belgium12
  • Czechia12+
  • Denmark11
  • FinlandK-12
  • GreeceΚ-12
  • Hungary12
  • IndiaUA
  • Israelהותר לכל
  • LTN-7
  • MexicoB
  • Netherlands12
  • Poland12
  • PortugalM/12
  • ROAP-12
  • Russia16+
  • Spain7
  • Sweden11
  • Switzerland12
  • Taiwan6+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 34% of all filmsHeavier than 54% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 73%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 3%
Profanity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 1%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 5%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 73%

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

The reason to think twice is violence. Everything else sits at or below what PG-13-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 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story have?

MovieCove's classifier found 6 depicted content warnings in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: Gun violence (severe), Kidnapping or confinement (moderate), Torture (moderate), plus 3 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.

SevereGun violence
ModerateKidnapping or confinementTorture

Cast and crew

Who is in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story?

Cast

5 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Felicity Jones
as Jyn Erso
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.
Diego Luna
as Cassian Andor
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Alan Tudyk
as K-2SO
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Donnie Yen
as Chirrut Îmwe
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Wen Jiang
as Baze Malbus
Ben Mendelsohn
as Orson Krennic
Guy Henry
as Governor Tarkin
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Forest Whitaker
as Saw Gerrera
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Riz Ahmed
as Bodhi Rook
Mads Mikkelsen
as Galen Erso
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.

Crew

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What are movies like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story?

Movies like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story include Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), The Creator (2023) and Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films written by George Lucas, and most are films set in outer space.

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

10 of these 12 share its world: space opera. Those cards say what else they share.

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What else shares a premise, people or place with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story?

263 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: space opera. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.