Quest for Fire

Play trailer

Quest for Fire

R,

1981,

1h 37m,

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

88%

24 Reviews

Tomatometer

75%

5,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

24 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

In the prehistoric world, a Cro-Magnon tribe depends on an ever-burning source of fire, which eventually extinguishes. Lacking the knowledge to start a new fire, the tribe sends three warriors (Everett McGill, Ron Perlman, Nameer El-Kadi) on a quest for more. With the tribe's future at stake, the warriors make their way across a treacherous landscape full of hostile tribes and monstrous beasts. On their journey, they encounter Ika (Rae Dawn Chong), a woman who has the knowledge they seek.

Critics Consensus

Its characters can't do much more than grunt, but that doesn't keep Quest for Fire from offering a deeply resonant -- and surprisingly funny -- look at the beginning of the human race.

Read Critics Reviews

Dwight Brown

Sepia

Aug 10, 2022

[An] innovative work.

Go to Full Review

Bob Thomas

Associated Press

Oct 22, 2018

Quest for Fire contains a uniqueness rarely seen in the homogenous product of today's film industry.

Go to Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

Mar 26, 2009

An engaging prehistoric yarn that happily never degenerates into a club and lion skin spinoff of Star Wars and resolutely refuses to bludgeon the viewer with facile or gratuitous effects.

Go to Full Review

James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Mar 9, 2024

3/4

If the viewer is able to buy into some of the more ridiculous aspects of the movie and cope with the absence of intelligible dialogue, Quest for Fire emerges as an engaging adventure film.

Go to Full Review

Phil Edwards

Starburst

Jul 28, 2022

A movie so rich in entertainment and genuine emotion which seems to race through its hundred minute running time like an express train.

Go to Full Review

Larry Vitacco

Philadelphia Gay News

May 27, 2020

4/4

Quest For Fire is thrilling and awesome in its individual and collective achievements.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Albus R

Jan 14, 2019

Starting is disgusting, middle is disgusting and the end is a little less disgusting but still disgusting! But I did not give it 1 star because the story was a little good.

See more

Harry R

Mar 2, 2018

Quest for Fire is a wonderful prehistoric adventure which is beautifully shot, superbly directed by Jean-Jacque Annaud and for the most part very plausible and grounded in reality. Its attention to detail is admirable and it succeeds as this fascinating, mostly wordless and largely very successful experiment. But in the end, the film's highest accomplishment is actually its very important, subtle and ultimately moving portrayal of the arrival of knowledge, love and laughter as humanity's most essential tools.

See more

Leia R

Jan 23, 2018

Such a cool, yet ridiculous and original movie. Some of the set pieces are really impressive, as are the actors dedication. The lack of dialog doesn't stop this from being engaging. If anything it makes it more universal.

See more

Finn R

Apr 26, 2017

A dumb but unique film that's a Canadian classic

Hermione R

Apr 1, 2017

Racist film that unfolds between unequal races while races do not exist. With civilizations more advanced than the others, and, as if by chance, they have white skins, whereas the "wild" ones all have the cliches of the Africans (cannibalism ...)

See more

Han M

Feb 27, 2017

"Quest for Fire" was a solid reminder about why I enjoy watching films and learning about their art; they are able to express ideas and tell stories by means of well put-together shots, detailed sounds/music, and emotionally charged body language.

See more

Read all reviews

Jean-Jacques Annaud

Director

Everett McGill

Naoh

Rae Dawn Chong

Ika

Ron Perlman

Amoukar

Nicholas Kadi

Gaw

Gary Schwartz

Rouka

Man on the Roof

87%

Man on the Roof

Watchlist

A Dry White Season

81%

76%

A Dry White Season

Watchlist

Farinelli: Il Castrato

60%

82%

Farinelli: Il Castrato

Watchlist

Experiment in Terror

100%

78%

Experiment in Terror

Watchlist

Insomnia

95%

77%

Insomnia

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Definitive Ron Perlman Roles

Ron Perlman’s Best Movies

View more photos

Synopsis

In the prehistoric world, a Cro-Magnon tribe depends on an ever-burning source of fire, which eventually extinguishes. Lacking the knowledge to start a new fire, the tribe sends three warriors (Everett McGill, Ron Perlman, Nameer El-Kadi) on a quest for more. With the tribe's future at stake, the warriors make their way across a treacherous landscape full of hostile tribes and monstrous beasts. On their journey, they encounter Ika (Rae Dawn Chong), a woman who has the knowledge they seek.

Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Belstar Productions, International Cinema Corporation (ICC), Stéphan Films
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 12, 1981, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Surround

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings