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The Survivor

The Survivor

Some fight to win. He fought to live.

2021129 minRMidcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Director
Barry Levinson
Starring
Ben Foster, Billy Magnussen, Vicky Krieps, Peter Sarsgaard

Harry Haft is a boxer who fought fellow prisoners in the concentration camps to survive. Haunted by the memories and his guilt, he attempts to use high-profile fights against boxing legends like Rocky Marciano as a way to find his first love again.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Survivor?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Survivor streaming on HBO Max and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Survivor?

The Survivor earns 5 badges, led by Standout acting and Star-studded.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Survivor worth watching?

The Survivor's Midcredits score is the 72nd percentile of all films, from 14K ratings across 6 sources. 64% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

72nd percentile

Better received than 72% of films

55th percentile among Biography73rd percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)71st
Approval (how many liked it)71st

67 /100

71st percentile of all films

57th percentile among Biography71st percentile among 2020s

Critics 71 · Audience 67

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.8 — solid but not unanimous.

64% liked it

71st percentile of all films

52nd percentile among Biography72nd percentile among 2020s
64% rated it 7–1036% rated it 1–6

Critics 86% · Audience 77%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 2 wins / 8 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

85th percentile

14K ratings across platforms

68th percentile among Biography86th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 21% in 30 days

Box office

Worldwide gross$219K

19th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A Holocaust survival story anchored by Ben Foster's committed performance, but hampered by uneven pacing and a bloated runtime.

Fans praised

  • transformative, physically and emotionally committed lead performance
  • fresh perspective on Holocaust trauma: survivor's guilt, moral ambiguity, PTSD
  • striking black-and-white cinematography and evocative period detail

Detractors panned

  • glacial pacing and overlong runtime sap narrative momentum
  • nonlinear editing is disjointed and confusing
  • underwritten romantic subplot and flat supporting characters

What stands out

Acting90

physically transformative, emotionally raw lead; strong supporting cast

Emotional impactDivisive75

deeply moving for some, emotionally numbing for others

CinematographyDivisive75

striking b&w camp scenes, but inconsistent in color sections

AtmosphereDivisive70

immersive camp dread, less sustained in postwar sections

Plot and storyDivisive65

compelling true story undermined by disjointed structure

Originality60

familiar Holocaust-boxing elements, fresh focus on moral ambiguity

Characters55

thin supporting roles, flat characterizations outside lead

Pacing30

overlong, drawn-out second half, glacial momentum

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 6 points apart
  • US vs non-US 6 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Survivor 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 are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark.

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

Moods
TenseMelancholicBittersweet
Heaviest: middle
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film treats Haft's suffering and his striving with grave, unflinching sincerity, weighing his guilt and trauma without irony.
The rideThe reenactment of camp fights and the boxing matches create sustained tension, with a melancholic undertone.
StructureThe narrative moves between his postwar boxing career and flashbacks to the camps, told broadly in order with memory intercutting the present.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves the weight of Haft's survivor's guilt lingering—a mix of sorrow at what was lost and a faint note of the love he sought.
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).Tragedy
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%: 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% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3% (this title)
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Crushed by fate: Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.

9% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

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

Why this archetypeHarry Haft's story is driven by a past he cannot escape—surviving the camps through boxing—and his attempt to claw his way back to love and meaning. The shape is tragic (crushed by the forces of history and his own past), with an undertow of rebirth in his attempt to heal.

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 filmsSelfMemorySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% (this title) · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% (this title) · 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% · 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%

Self

Memory · 3% of filmsSurvivalSelf-worth · 7% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how the past—both the trauma of the camps and the lost love—haunts and drives Harry's present actions.
StanceThe film mourns the loss of innocence and the lasting trauma of the Holocaust through Harry's personal story.

The world

Mid 20th centuryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score
SettingPost-WWII America and concentration camps
MusicThe score likely underscores the emotional weight of Harry's journey.

Content guide

Is The Survivor okay for kids?

R

The Survivor is rated R: “Rated R for disturbing violent content, language and some nudity” (MPAA). As of August 19, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (96/100), sexual content at moderate (48/100), language at moderate (38/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at severe (86/100). Its violence, language, drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 11 other countries
  • UK15
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • JapanR15+
  • Brazil18
  • FinlandK-16
  • Netherlands18
  • Poland16
  • Russia18+
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
Overall
Intense · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Severe
too few votes to rank (8 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 49%
Profanity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (7 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (7 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Severe
too few votes to rank (7 votes)

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

Too few votes to rank this title overall (43 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 Survivor have?

MovieCove's classifier found 7 depicted content warnings in The Survivor: Gore or body horror (severe), Hate-motivated violence (severe), Kidnapping or confinement (severe), Sexual violence (severe), Torture (severe), War atrocities (severe), Gun violence (moderate). Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereGore or body horrorHate-motivated violenceKidnapping or confinementSexual violenceTortureWar atrocities
ModerateGun violence

Cast and crew

Who is in The Survivor?

Cast

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

Ben Foster
as Harry Haft
Emmy nominee: Primetime Emmy nomination — Outstanding Television MovieTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Billy Magnussen
as Schneider
Vicky Krieps
as Miriam Wofsoniker
Peter Sarsgaard
as Emory Anderson
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.
Danny DeVito
as Charley Goldman
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.
John Leguizamo
as Bill 'Pepé' Miller
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Dar Zuzovsky
as Leah Krichinsky
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Laurent Papot
as Jean
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Paul Bates
as Louis Barclay
Sonya Cullingford
as Else
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 The Survivor?

Movies like The Survivor include Lee (2023), Cinderella Man (2005) and Mudbound (2017). Of the 12 closest matches, half are sports underdog stories, and several are films set during World War II.

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

11 of these 12 share its praise for acting. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

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

966 other films share the rarest tag below, follows: prisoner. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.