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Star Trek: Section 31

Star Trek: Section 31

To protect the light, they fight in shadow.

202595 minPG-13Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films
Director
Olatunde Osunsanmi
Starring
Michelle Yeoh, Omari Hardwick, Sam Richardson, Kacey Rohl

Emperor Philippa Georgiou joins a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets and faces the sins of her past.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Star Trek: Section 31?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Star Trek: Section 31 streaming on Paramount+ and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Star Trek: Section 31?

Star Trek: Section 31 earns 3 badges, led by Overhyped and Award Winner.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Star Trek: Section 31 worth watching?

Star Trek: Section 31's Midcredits score is the 2nd percentile of all films, from 37K ratings across 6 sources. 14% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

2nd percentile

Better received than 2% of films

4th percentile among Action2nd percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)3rd
Approval (how many liked it)3rd

38 /100

3rd percentile of all films

6th percentile among Action5th percentile among 2020s

Critics 37 · Audience 38

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

Ratings scatter across the whole scale — one of the most divisive reactions in the catalog.

14% liked it

3rd percentile of all films

6th percentile among Action4th percentile among 2020s
14% rated it 7–1086% rated it 1–6

Critics 24% · Audience 15%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 2 wins / 10 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

87th percentile

37K ratings across platforms

78th percentile among Action88th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 31% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a fast-paced, effects-heavy sci-fi action movie that breaks from traditional Star Trek tone, but both sides often say it feels more like a generic action flick than a thoughtful Star Trek story.

Fans praised

  • enjoyable for both Trek fans and action-oriented viewers
  • good special effects and some fun action sequences
  • operating outside Federation constraints is a fresh change

Detractors panned

  • feels like generic action schlock, not true Star Trek
  • thin, uneven plot and pacing with no emotional weight
  • poor character depth, especially for Georgiou, and forced dialogue

What stands out

Effects and spectacle65

good special effects and some fun action set pieces

ActingDivisive45

talented cast wasted, with one-note performances especially from the lead

Plot and storyDivisive30

plot criticized as muddled, thin, and logically jumpy

Pacing30

rushed plot and uneven pacing, not enough time to process

Atmosphere30

lacks Star Trek's optimistic world-building, feels plastic

Dialogue25

dialogue feels forced and expository, lacking wit

CharactersDivisive20

characters called cartoonish and lacking depth, especially Georgiou

Emotional impact20

emotional weight absent, zero heart

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users 3 points apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Star Trek: Section 31 like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Fun ride: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want a fun ride.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you bittersweet.

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

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Fun ride.

The answer rests on this: Moods
ThrillingAbsurdMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Adventurous · 11% of filmsMelodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.Campy · 4% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its convoluted plot and oddball team dynamics straight but with a pulpy, comic-book energy that undercuts the darker moments.
The rideThe film maintains a brisk, often campy action tone throughout, with the emotional weight settling most heavily in the final confrontation between Georgiou and San.
StructureThe story follows a conventional beginning (past), recruitment, team assembly, betrayal, and final confrontation.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetWistful · 8% of films
Why it leaves you this wayGeorgiou loses San in a tragic resolution, but the team carries on, leaving a mix of loss and unresolved potential.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

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

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeGeorgiou's mission to stop San from using the Godsend weapon drives the plot, with a heist element to steal it.

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 filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · 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% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% (this title) · 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%

Morality

Redemption · 6% of filmsBetrayal · 5% of filmsGuilt · 3% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Cosmic stakes: Consequences reach beyond the world.Single lead
How it treats its themeGeorgiou is forced to confront the sins of her Mirror Universe past, particularly the murder of her family and betrayal of San, as she chooses to protect the Prime Universe.
StanceThe film questions whether redemption is possible for someone who has committed atrocities, using the universe-threatening stakes to frame Georgiou's personal moral reckoning.

The world

Far futureIn transitInstitutionalScience fiction
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Jeff Russo
SettingSection 31's covert operations across space stations and starships in the early 24th century
MusicThe score blends traditional orchestral Trek motifs with a more percussive, action-oriented sound.

Content guide

Is Star Trek: Section 31 okay for kids?

PG-13

Star Trek: Section 31 is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for violence/bloody images, suggestive material and some language” (MPAA). As of August 19, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (56/100), sexual content at mild (25/100), language at moderate (40/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at moderate (52/100). Overall it is heavier than 54% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 5 other countries
  • UK12
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • Ireland15
  • Brazil12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 34% of all filmsHeavier than 54% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 61%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 41%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 47%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 56%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 58%

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

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is violence, heavier than 61% of PG-13-rated films.

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 Star Trek: Section 31 have?

MovieCove's classifier found 3 depicted content warnings in Star Trek: Section 31: Death of a child (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.

ModerateDeath of a child

Cast and crew

Who is in Star Trek: Section 31?

Cast

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

Michelle Yeoh
as Philippa Georgiou
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.
Omari Hardwick
as Alok Sahar
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sam Richardson
as Quasi
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kacey Rohl
as Rachel Garrett
Sven Ruygrok
as Fuzz
Robert Kazinsky
as Zeph
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Humberly González
as Melle
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
James Hiroyuki Liao
as San
Miku Martineau
as Young Georgiou
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Augusto Bitter
as Virgil
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Star Trek: Section 31?

Movies like Star Trek: Section 31 include Star Trek: Generations (1994), The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) and Captain America: Civil War (2016). Of the 12 closest matches, most are films set in the far future, and most are stories about tyrants.

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

Gene Roddenberry wrote 4 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Star Trek: Section 31?

1.5K other films share the rarest tag below, premise: heist. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.