The Book of Eli

Play trailer

The Book of Eli

R

2010

1h 52m

Adventure

Action

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

46%

Tomatometer

205 Reviews

65%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Thirty years after war turned the world into a wasteland, a lone warrior named Eli marches across the ruined landscape, carrying hope for humanity's redemption. Only one other man understands the power of what Eli carries, and he is determined to take it for himself. Though Eli prefers peace, he must risk death to protect his precious cargo, to fulfill his destiny to help restore mankind.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

It's certainly uneven, and many viewers will find that its reach exceeds its grasp, but The Book of Eli finds the Hughes brothers injecting some fresh stylish fun into the kind of post-apocalyptic wasteland filmgoers have seen more than enough of lately.

Read Critics Reviews

Ed Koch

The Atlantic

Jan 16, 2018

This picture is one big waste of time, including that of the actors and those in the audience who pay to see it.

Go to Full Review

Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

Sep 11, 2017

D+

The Book Of Eli is just one hot mess with choppy biblical undertones... The filmmakers just tried to get too deep with something that was not fully developed.

Go to Full Review

Dwight Brown

National Newspaper Publishers Association

Nov 8, 2016

1.5/4

Post-apocalypse films are a dime a dozen, so what makes The Book of Eli so different? Not much, except an evangelical subplot that is not strong enough to be this film's savior.

Go to Full Review

Sharai Bohannon

A Nightmare On Fierce Street Podcast

May 23, 2025

2/5

This is too predictable and unfun to be worth most of these actors time. Denzel Washington gives a performance worth noting, but it's not enough to save the movie from itself.

Go to Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Aug 25, 2023

2.5/4

The most admirable aspect of the production is its use of Washington in a samurai-esque role.

Go to Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Oct 26, 2022

A violent action spectacle. [Full review in Spanish]

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Jason B

@RT86723460 Sep 19, 2026

One of my favourite fillms it's so good one of my favourite actors as well

See more

Robert P

@Superbad Sep 18, 2026

The Book of Eli = a *3.5* star Movie!

See more

Mike T

@RT10644161 Aug 16, 2026

Loved the easy paced movie that really had a great twist for an ending. Great message here for we should think about in present times.

See more

d W

@doublebrovo Jul 22, 2026

This one of the best (top 3) apocalypse movies I've seen. It was unpredictable from the start to finish. I only wish there would be a sequel.

See more

Les N

@Vegas628 Jul 20, 2026

Why this got a bad review, many, I'm not quite sure?

See more

Toxicnukem T

@Toxicnukem Jul 18, 2026

I have a soft spot for apocalyptic movies and this definitely hits the spot. the end was very rewarding.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Allen Hughes

Director

Albert Hughes

Director

Denzel Washington

Eli

Gary Oldman

Carnegie

Mila Kunis

Solara

Ray Stevenson

Redridge

The Man With the Iron Fists

52%

40%

The Man With the Iron Fists

Watchlist

Rambo

38%

69%

Rambo

Watchlist

Pathfinder

8%

36%

Pathfinder

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Pathfinder

Apocalypto

65%

79%

Apocalypto

Watchlist

Tomorrow, When the War Began

62%

57%

Tomorrow, When the War Began

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Denzel Washington Coolest Lines Mashup

2:00

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Thirty years after war turned the world into a wasteland, a lone warrior named Eli marches across the ruined landscape, carrying hope for humanity's redemption. Only one other man understands the power of what Eli carries, and he is determined to take it for himself. Though Eli prefers peace, he must risk death to protect his precious cargo, to fulfill his destiny to help restore mankind.

Director: Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes
Producer: Joel Silver, Denzel Washington, Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, David Valdes
Screenwriter: Gary Whitta
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Silver Pictures
Rating: R (Some Brutal Violence|Language)
Genre: Adventure, Action, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 15, 2010, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 15, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $94.8M
Runtime: 1h 52m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings