Watchmen

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2:19

Watchmen

R

2009

2h 42m

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Mystery & Thriller

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

64%

Tomatometer

304 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

In an alternate 1985 America, costumed superheroes are part of everyday life. When one of his former comrades is murdered, masked vigilante Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) uncovers a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his retired associates, only one of which has true powers, Rorschach glimpses a far-reaching conspiracy involving their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the world's future.

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Critics Consensus

Gritty and visually striking, Watchmen is a faithful adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel, but its complex narrative structure may make it difficult for it to appeal to viewers not already familiar with the source material.

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Matthew Rozsa

Salon.com

Jul 23, 2019

3.5/4

When given a great story and told that his job is to simply adapt it, Snyder more than rises to the occasion.

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Matt Singer

The Rumpus

Sep 18, 2017

The only way to truly adhere to Alan Moore's vision of Watchmen would be to not make the movie in the first place.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

Sep 12, 2017

B+

Watchmen isn't your typical caper flick filled with kickass effects and gunfire and no premise.

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Kyle Logan

Cultured Vultures

Feb 16, 2026

The best superhero movie Snyder has made...Watchmen is an epic that feels worthy of its 3 hour director’s cut runtime largely because it has so much story to tell.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Oct 28, 2023

The story of costumed superheroes into the real world offers a visual spectacle to be sure, but it emphasizes the “novel” in graphic novel: narrative complexity, character dynamism, the density of fiction and history and commentary swirling together.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Sep 5, 2023

2.5/4

Ambitious films like this are generally either glorious artistic successes or utter failures; Watchmen uniquely falls somewhere in the middle.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 10, 2026

An Okay movie with a Surprise Ending...

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Keiver P

@RT90935157 Sep 5, 2026

Great movie. This is the type of story that Zack Snyder can adapt with his own vision, and it fits perfectly. The action was well done, the direction was great, and some parts were straight out of the comic book. Worth a watch

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O.B Fan Boy T

@RT21130566 Sep 4, 2026

I love Zach Snyder movies

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Michael M

@joseywales357 Sep 2, 2026

This was absolutely a great movie, visually incredible, unique directing skills and ability. I highly recommend for sci-fi fans and fans that are interested in comic books turning into a movie.

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Jasmine W

@jasniquejewels Aug 31, 2026

I was impressed by this live action adaptation probably my favorite film zack snyder ever directed.

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Leigh S

@Icedprism Aug 24, 2026

I am impressed, he did a great job on character choices. JDM played a great Comedian..

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Zack Snyder

Director

Billy Crudup

Jon Osterman

Malin Akerman

Laurie Jupiter

Jackie Earle Haley

Walter Kovacs

Matthew Goode

Adrian Veidt

Patrick Wilson

Dan Dreiberg

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Synopsis

In an alternate 1985 America, costumed superheroes are part of everyday life. When one of his former comrades is murdered, masked vigilante Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) uncovers a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his retired associates, only one of which has true powers, Rorschach glimpses a far-reaching conspiracy involving their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the world's future.

Director: Zack Snyder
Producer: Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin, Deborah Snyder
Screenwriter: David Hayter, Alex Tse
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Lawrence Gordon Productions, Lloyd Levin
Rating: R (Nudity|Language|Sexuality|Strong Graphic Violence)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery & Thriller, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 6, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 31, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $107.5M
Runtime: 2h 42m

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