Owen Wilson’s underrated action war film, Behind Enemy Lines, has landed a new streaming home. The film is now available on Hulu, giving fans the perfect chance to revisit one of Wilson’s best roles.
Behind Enemy Lines debuted on Hulu on Jan. 1, 2026, making its arrival on the streaming platform over two and a half decades after its original theatrical release. In the film, Wilson stars as Naval Flight Officer Lieutenant Chris Burnett, a man who finds himself shot down over Bosnia. To make matters worse, he soon uncovers genocide during the Bosnian War, with the story loosely based on the 1995 incident involving real-life Air Force fighter pilot Scott O’Grady.
As the title suggests, Wilson’s character finds himself literally behind enemy lines, and he faces an intense struggle to survive despite the relentless pursuit of hostile troops and other forces that want him dead. As time begins to run out for his rescue, Burnett’s commanding officer (Gene Hackman) launches his own rescue mission in a desperate attempt to get the fallen pilot back home to safety.
During its original theatrical release in 2001, Behind Enemy Lines received mixed reviews from critics. Decades later, it maintains a 36% ‘Rotten’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics slamming it for being an ‘overload of flashy visual tricks’, comparing it to a video game. Despite the lukewarm reception from critics, audiences have actually loved the underrated Wilson classic — and 62% of over 250,000 user ratings on Rotten Tomatoes are positive.
“The critics are unkind to this,” one review wrote in a recent review of the film. “There’s nothing particularly new here, but it’s a solid actioner, with a few very exciting sequences.” Other users largely agreed, with several saying that it doesn’t “try to be anything more than what it is” and praising it for being a fun and enjoyable action thriller.
Modern audience reviews largely echo how theater-goers in 2001 felt about the film. The mixed critical reception didn’t stop Behind Enemy Lines from being a box office success, and it grossed over $121 million worldwide against its $40 million budget. The film’s success helped to launch a franchise, with three direct-to-video sequels following, each telling their own story. Wilson did not return for any of the following films.
Behind Enemy Lines Remains Beloved By Audiences Decades Later
Owen Wilson in Behind Enemy Lines20th Century Fox
Behind Enemy Lines was released fairly early into Wilson’s career, released as his star was on the rise with roles like Shanghai Noon and Zoolander. This was one of the reasons his co-star Gene Hackman took notice of the up-and-coming actor and recommended him to star in Behind Enemy Lines. While the film wasn’t Wilson’s most beloved film with critics, it didn’t hinder him from reaching even higher levels of fame, and he went on to star in major blockbusters including Night at the Museum and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
With Behind Enemy Lines finally making its way to Hulu, audiences now have a chance to check out this underrated gem in his filmography. It’s another prime example of a film where critics may have prevented a film from getting the widespread recognition it deserved — but film lovers are rediscovering it and proving that it’s only gotten better with age.
“Critics are worthless,” one Rotten Tomatoes audience member wrote. “This is a very enjoyable movie with great effects. Great aerial scenes, compelling plot showing how messy it is in war zones on all sides. Loved it as a kid and love it now.”
Behind Enemy Lines is now streaming on Hulu.
Release Date
November 30, 2001
Runtime
106 minutes
Director
John Moore
