Tomorrow, When the War Began | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

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Where to Watch Tomorrow, When the War Began What to Know Critics Reviews Audience Reviews My Rating Cast & Crew More Like This Related Movie News Photos Tomorrow, When the War Began

63%

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59 Reviews

57%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Ellie Linton (Caitlin Stasey), a teen from an Australian coastal town, leads her friends (Rachel Hurd-Wood, Lincoln Lewis) on an excursion to a camp deep in the woods, dubbed "Hell." Upon their return, the youths find that their town has been overrun by an enemy army, and their friends and family have been imprisoned. When the hostile invaders become alerted to their presence, Ellie and her friends band together to escape -- and strike back against -- this mysterious enemy.

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Tomorrow, When the War Began

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Critics Consensus

While the script isn't amazing and the story's race issues linger, this adaptation of John Marsden's book is an exciting, action-heavy adventure that should please fans of the series.

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Critics Reviews

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Tomorrow, When the War Began | Rotten Tomatoes (1)

Perri Nemiroff

Shockya.com

Suffers from some technical and acting issues, but the piece is so exciting and engaging overall you'll undoubtedly be hoping for a sequel when the credits roll.

Rated: 3.5/5

Feb 25, 2012

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Tomorrow, When the War Began | Rotten Tomatoes (2)

Jeff Shannon

Seattle Times

You know the drill: A small group of unsuspecting adventurers wanders into danger, and not all of them will get out alive.

Rated: 2/4

Feb 23, 2012

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Tomorrow, When the War Began | Rotten Tomatoes (3)

Bill Goodykoontz

Arizona Republic

Just fast-moving fun, enough so to gloss over its shortcomings.

Rated: 3.5/5

Feb 23, 2012

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Tomorrow, When the War Began | Rotten Tomatoes (4)

Joe Lipsett

Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr Podcast

This big budget action spectacle (by Aussie standards) is a reasonable adaptation of Marsden's source material, though it misunderstands the point by amping up the action at the expense of the teen relationships.

Rated: 2.5/5

Jul 25, 2023

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Tomorrow, When the War Began | Rotten Tomatoes (5)

Kate Rodger

Newshub (NZ)

As a film made for it's teenage fans, it mostly succeeds.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 23, 2019

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Tomorrow, When the War Began | Rotten Tomatoes (6)

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Suffers from some painfully slow pacing and clichéd writing.

Rated: 1/5

Jul 24, 2019

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Audience Reviews

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MJ W Lol... Red Dawn Under Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/01/24 Full Review A.L.Jude P Another great Australian movie. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/01/23 Full Review Zbra Good story idea, plenty of action although ending doesnt finish in a satisfying way. Acting was alright with few good cast members. Could of added alot more to make it better. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/16/23 Full Review John S The characterization was amazing. A high impact story with a dash of warm romance between Ellie and Lee. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/06/23 Full Review lanfranco c The Movie foresaw an attack.We have been having One, but it is an other, more subtle, kind of attack! Rated 2.5/5 Stars • Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member The story is based on a book by John Marsden, though it feels like a "Red Dawn" rip-off... it tends to linger a bit too much in the openings and the cast is hit or miss with some being good and some being really bad... still there is enough action and drama to make it worth a watch. Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Stuart Beattie Director Caitlin Stasey Ellie Linton Rachel Hurd-Wood Corrie Mackenzie Lincoln Lewis Kevin Holmes Deniz Akdeniz Homer Yannos Phoebe Tonkin Fiona Maxwell

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Synopsis Ellie Linton (Caitlin Stasey), a teen from an Australian coastal town, leads her friends (Rachel Hurd-Wood, Lincoln Lewis) on an excursion to a camp deep in the woods, dubbed "Hell." Upon their return, the youths find that their town has been overrun by an enemy army, and their friends and family have been imprisoned. When the hostile invaders become alerted to their presence, Ellie and her friends band together to escape -- and strike back against -- this mysterious enemy.

Director: Stuart Beattie
Screenwriter: Stuart Beattie
Production Co: Ambience Entertainment, Omnilab Media
Rating: R (Some Violence)
Genre: Action, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 4, 2017
Runtime: 1h 43m