Skip to content
MovieCove
The Hell with Heroes

The Hell with Heroes

They all had something to sell...courage...sex...corruption!

1968102 minMidcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Director
Joseph Sargent
Starring
Rod Taylor, Claudia Cardinale, Harry Guardino, Kevin McCarthy

In 1946 North Africa, two former US Air Force pilots are forced to work for an international smuggler to get money needed for their return to civilian life after fighting in World War II.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Hell with Heroes?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list The Hell with Heroes on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Reception

Is The Hell with Heroes worth watching?

The Hell with Heroes' Midcredits score is the 27th percentile of all films, from 347 ratings across 3 sources. 34% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

27th percentile

Better received than 27% of films

23rd percentile among Drama24th percentile among 1960s
Acclaim (how much people like it)28th
Approval (how many liked it)29th

55 /100

28th percentile of all films

23rd percentile among Drama20th percentile among 1960s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.0 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

34% liked it

29th percentile of all films

24th percentile among Drama28th percentile among 1960s
34% rated it 7–1066% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

38th percentile

347 ratings across platforms

40th percentile among Drama36th percentile among 1960s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 31% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film has a strong cast, beautiful lead Claudia Cardinale, and a complex story set in post-war Africa, but suffers from uninspired direction that undermines its potential.

Fans praised

  • brilliant cast with emotional acting from Rod Taylor
  • screenplay with moral complexity and moving dilemmas
  • exciting build-up to emotional climax

Detractors panned

  • TV-quality direction with poor camera placement and rushed scenes
  • convoluted plot that tries to be too clever

What stands out

Acting75

Rod Taylor delivers quality emotional work; Pete Duel shows subtle depth

Atmosphere70

post-war North African setting with anti-colonialist feel

Emotional impact65

moving in places; builds to emotional climax

Characters60

ex-servicemen and black-marketeers face moral dilemmas

Plot and storyDivisive50

smuggling scheme with complex details; some find it confusing

Pacing45

director rushes scenes, not allowing natural buildup

Originality45

derivative of 1940s B-movie noir adventures

Cinematography40

poor camera placement; potential wasted by lack of visual craft

Watch experience

What is The Hell with Heroes like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

No single mood: browse every movie of this kindNo one kind of watch fits it, so it is described by how heavy it is.

Watch this when you want something serious and affecting.

It 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

Moods
TenseMelancholicRomantic
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Hardboiled · 1% of films: Terse, unsentimental, noir-inflected.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneA cynical, hard-boiled postwar adventure-drama played essentially straight, freighted with existential angst about the moral mess the characters wade into.
The rideTense smuggling action and danger mix with melancholic postwar desperation and a complicated romance leading to an emotional climax.
StructureA conventional three-act tale told in order — postwar setup in North Africa, the smuggling work, then an emotional climax.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe moral compromises and the complicated romance stay with you after the adventure resolves.
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

with Quest underneath

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

Why this archetypeTwo ex-USAF pilots are trapped into working for a smuggling boss who holds power over them, with their escape and return home driving the story; the moral corrode of tolerating that racket is the film's through-line.

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 filmsSelfCorruption
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% (this title) · 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% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% (this title) · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · 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%

Power

Corruption · 3% of filmsSurvivalRomantic love · 15% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themePostwar desperation drives two veterans into moral compromise with a black-marketeer, while a forbidden romance complicates their escape.
StanceThe film dramatizes how desperation makes veterans tolerate a black-market racket, warning about what complicity with evil costs.

The world

Mid 20th centuryWildernessUrbanRealistic
JazzOrchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Quincy Jones
SettingPost-World War II North Africa, 1946: two ex-USAF pilots pulled into a smuggling racket to earn their passage home.
MusicQuincy Jones's snappy, jazz-inflected score underlines the postwar noir atmosphere.

Content guide

Is The Hell with Heroes okay for kids?

As of October 2, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (44/100), sexual content at mild (22/100), language at mild (33/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (50/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Moderate
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Mild
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Profanity
Mild
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (2 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (12 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

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 The Hell with Heroes have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Hell with Heroes?

Cast

Rod Taylor
as Brynie MacKay
Claudia Cardinale
as Elena
Harry Guardino
as Lee Harris
Kevin McCarthy
as Col. Wilson
Pete Duel
as Mike Brewer
William Marshall
as Al Poland
Don Knight
as Pepper
Michael Shillo
as Pol Guilbert
Robert Yuro
as Willoughby
Lew Brown
as Sgt. Shaeffer

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Hell with Heroes?

TMDB's suggestions for movies like The Hell with Heroes include The Good Doctor (2011), Blood Diamond (2006) and Triage (2009).

Like this, but

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Hell with Heroes?

492 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: film noir. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.