Trailer+1 trailer
Summary
New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg is on assignment covering the Cambodian Civil War, with the help of local interpreter Dith Pran and American photojournalist Al Rockoff.
Good for
- Friends night
- Thought-provoking
- Adults
Skip it if
- You need an uplifting mood
- Graphic violence bothers you
Where to watch
Fingerprint
At a glance
Critics vs audiences
Critics and audiences agree
Critics 84Audiences 81GoodWatch 81
Tomatometer91%
Metascore76
Audience score91%
Letterboxd · 40 K ratings4.0/5
IMDb7.8
User score7.4
Box office
2.4×its budget
- Budget
- $14 M
- Worldwide
- $35 M
Worldwide it earned $20 M more than it cost.
Running time
2 h 22 min
Longer than most dramas, +33 min on the typical 109
typical 109142Half of all dramas run 98–125 min.
Reach
Streams in 10 countries, rent or buy in 27 more
Released
1984
November 23, 1984
42 years ago
Genres
DramaHistoryWarLanguage
English
Original language
Also spoken
RussianKhmerFrenchMade in
- United Kingdom
Rated
- RUnited States
What's in it
- ViolenceStrong
- Gore, disturbing imagesModerate
- Frightening scenesMild
- Sex, nudityLittle or none
- Dark themesIntense
In white: what the content advisories name. Levels from the title analysis.
Viewing guide
AdultsFriends NightPartner WatchSolo WatchThought-ProvokingNot listed for kids or family movie night.
24 of 31
Sam WaterstonSydney Schanberg
Haing S. NgorDith Pran
John MalkovichAl Rockoff
Julian SandsJon Swain
Craig T. NelsonMilitary Attaché
Spalding GrayU.S. Consul
Bill PatersonDr. MacEntire
Athol FugardDr. Sundesval
Graham KennedyDougal- KKKatherine Krapum CheySer Moeum (Pran's Wife)
- OPOliver PierpaoliTitony (Pran's Son)
- EEEdward Entero CheySarun
- TBTom BirdU.S. Military Advisor
- MSMonirak SisowathPhat (K.R. Leader 2nd Village)
- LDLambool DtangpaiboolPhat's Son
Ira WheelerAmbassador Wade- DHDavid HenryFrance
Patrick MalahideMorgan
Nell CampbellBeth- JHJoan HarrisTV Interviewer
Joanna MerlinSchanberg's Sister- JBJay BarneySchanberg's Father
Mark LongNoaks- SISayo InabaMrs. Noaks
Directing · 12
- Roland Joffé Director
- David Barron Assistant Director
- Bill Westley First Assistant Director
- Gerry Toomey Assistant Director
- Sompol Sungkawess Assistant Director
- Richard Hawley Assistant Director
Writing · 1
- Bruce Robinson Screenplay
Production · 14
- David Puttnam Producer
- Susie Figgis Casting
- Marion Dougherty Casting
- Juliet Taylor Casting
- Pat Golden Casting
- David Coatsworth Production Manager
Camera · 12
- Chris Menges Director of Photography
- David Appleby Still Photographer
- Robert McRae Key Grip
- Mike Roberts Camera Operator
- Tony Breeze Assistant Camera
- Jeremy Gee Focus Puller
Editing · 3
- Jim Clark Editor
- Bryan Oates First Assistant Editor
- Anne Sopel Assistant Editor
Sound · 19
- Mike Oldfield Original Music Composer
- David Bedford Music Arranger, Orchestrator
- Clive Winter Sound Mixer
- Bill Rowe Sound Mixer
- Leonard Green Dialogue Editor
- John Gale Music Consultant
Art · 21
- Roy Walker Production Design
- Roger Murray-Leach Art Direction
- Paul Bradburn Props
- Julie Graysmark Draughtsman
- Steve Spence Art Direction
- Martin Atkinson Assistant Art Director
Costume & Make-Up · 16
- Judy Moorcroft Costume Design
- Ronnie Cogan Hairstylist
- Ken Lintott Makeup Artist
- Chris Taylor Hairstylist
- Tommie Manderson Makeup Supervisor
- James Keeler Hairstylist
Visual Effects · 3
- Fred Cramer Special Effects Supervisor
- Stefan Lange Visual Effects
- Costas Charitou Visual Effects
Lighting · 7
- Eddie Knight Electrician
- Ray Boyle Gaffer
- Peter Bloor Gaffer
- John Clark Best Boy Electric
- Jonn Barry Electrician
- Eric Melville Electrician
Other crew · 13
- Terry Forrestal Stunt Coordinator
- Paul McCartney Thanks
- Peter Casey Generator Operator
- Melvyn Pearson Special Effects Technician
- Alan Bryce Special Effects Technician
- Andrew Overholtzer Special Effects Technician
Tropes
More like this
Similar
Most like The Killing Fields overall
Nearest on the related map: closest in everything it does to you, not one trait
- Hotel Rwanda (2004)
GoodWatch score 83 - Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
GoodWatch score 85 - Downfall (2004)
GoodWatch score 85 - Roman Empire (2016)
GoodWatch score 67 - Days of Glory (2006)
GoodWatch score 75 - Valkyrie (2008)
GoodWatch score 63 - Mangal Pandey - The Rising (2005)
GoodWatch score 62 - The Birth of a Nation (2016)
GoodWatch score 67 - Anthropoid (2016)
GoodWatch score 67 - The Last Czars (2019)
GoodWatch score 62 - A Bridge Too Far (1977)
GoodWatch score 68 - Chief of War (2025)
GoodWatch score 72 - Land of Mine (2015)
GoodWatch score 81 - Viva Zapata! (1952)
GoodWatch score 62 - The Siege of Jadotville (2016)
GoodWatch score 68 - Lion of the Desert (1981)
GoodWatch score 78
Same genre
More drama movies
- GoodFellas (1990)
GoodWatch score 89 - Scarface (1983)
GoodWatch score 78 - About Time (2013)
GoodWatch score 71 - Michael (2026)
GoodWatch score 58 - Before Sunset (2004)
GoodWatch score 88 - Romeo + Juliet (1996)
GoodWatch score 68 - Hell or High Water (2016)
GoodWatch score 85 - Sense and Sensibility (2026)
GoodWatch score 74