Hotel Rwanda
Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager, houses over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda, Africa.
Directed by Terry George · Biography · Drama · History · 121 min · 2005
Trailer
Director
Terry George
Writer
Keir Pearson, Terry George
Studio
United Artists / Lions Gate Films / Miracle Pictures{{cite web / title=Hotel Rwanda (2004) / work=AFI Catalog of Feature Films / url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/63109-HOTEL-RWANDA / access-date=6 March 2023 / Seamus / The Industrial Development Corporation / Inside Track / Endgame Entertainment{{Cite web / url=http://www.endgameent.com/project/25/Hotel_Rwanda/ / title=Endgame / access-date=11 November 2021 / archive-date=24 August 2016 / archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160824055943/http://www.endgameent.com/project/25/Hotel_Rwanda/ / url-status=dead
Release
04 Feb 2005
Runtime
121 min
Genres
Biography, Drama, History
Full Plot
1994. In Rwanda, the classification of the native population into Hutus and Tutsis, arbitrarily done by the colonial Belgians, is now ingrained within Rwandan mentality despite the Rwandan independence. Despite the Belgians having placed the Tutsis in a higher position during the Belgian rule, they have placed the majority Hutus in power after independence. Paul Rusesabagina, a Hutu married to a Tutsi, Tatiana Rusesabagina, is the House Manager of the Hotel Des Milles Collines in Kigali. The Milles Collines, owned by Sabena (the national airline of Belgium), is a four-star hotel catering primarily to wealthy white westerners. Paul, who knows how to work the system to run the hotel effectively for its guests and for Sabena, is proud that most of the Caucasians who he meets in this professional capacity treat him with respect. After a specific incident, the relative calm between the Tutsi guerrillas and government-backed Hutu militia takes a turn. Paul's thought that the native population as a whole who are not directly involved in the conflict will be protected as the UN peacekeeping forces and thus the world is watching doesn't happen as the western world largely evacuates from Rwanda and abandons the natives. Such begins what will become a genocide of the Tutsi population. Paul, who is able to get his immediate family to the hotel which is still largely seen as a place of sanctuary, will have to use the considerable skills he has used to run the hotel as well as he has instead to keep himself, his family and any others taking refuge at the hotel alive, whether they be Hutu or Tutsi. Meanwhile, Colonel Oliver, a Canadian heading the UN peacekeeping forces, and Pat Archer with the Red Cross do what they can to assist Paul and to get people to safety first to the hotel then out of the country, while field journalists, like photographer Jack Daglish, try to bring the genocide back into the global media to have the world once again care about what is going on.
Cast & Characters
Paul Rusesabagina
Don Cheadle
Tatiana Rusesabagina
Sophie Okonedo
Jack Daglish, loosely based on peacekeeper Stefan Steć
Joaquin Phoenix
Colonel Oliver, loosely based on General Roméo Dallaire
Nick Nolte
Dube
Desmond Dube
Dave Flemming
David O'Hara
Pat Archer
Cara Seymour
General Augustin Bizimungu
Fana Mokoena
Georges Rutaganda
Hakeem Kae-Kazim
Gregoire
Tony Kgoroge
Elys Rusesabagina
Mosa Kaiser
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $17.5M, Hotel Rwanda has grossed $38.0M worldwide — about 2.2x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Did You Know that Hotel Rwanda was released on VHS format on April 12, 2005.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Did You Know that the Region 1 Code widescreen edition of the film was also released on DVD in the United States on April 12, 2005.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Did You Know that a Blu-ray Disc edition featuring special documentaries and audio commentary was released in the United States on May 10, 2011.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Critical Assessment
Hotel Rwanda holds 8.1/10 on IMDb (389,186 votes), 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 79/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 11, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.1/10 on IMDb (389,186 votes), 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 79/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hotel Rwanda's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
Hotel Rwanda holds a 91% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is Hotel Rwanda's IMDb rating?+
Hotel Rwanda has a 8.1/10 rating on IMDb from 389,186 votes.
What is Hotel Rwanda's Metacritic score?+
Hotel Rwanda has a Metascore of 79/100 on Metacritic.
Is Hotel Rwanda good? What are critics saying?+
Hotel Rwanda holds 8.1/10 on IMDb (389,186 votes), 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 79/100 on Metacritic.
How long is Hotel Rwanda?+
Hotel Rwanda has a runtime of 121 min.
Who directed Hotel Rwanda?+
Hotel Rwanda was directed by Terry George.
Where can I watch Hotel Rwanda?+
Hotel Rwanda is available to stream, rent, or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channels.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The public's reaction to "Hotel Rwanda" is largely positive, with many praising the film's powerful storytelling, strong performances from Don Cheadle, and its unflinching portrayal of the genocide in Rwanda. Reviewers also express admiration for the movie's accuracy and impact on their emotional responses.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
Don Cheadle is super as Paul Rusesabagina, the manager of a Belgian-owned hotel in Kigali in 1994 during the civil strife that saw Hutus relentlessly and ruthlessly persecute the minority Tutsis in Rwanda. Once he is directly touched by one such incident, he decides that he must…
CinemaSerf · 7/10
From the trailer's comments
Don Cheadle so should have received an Oscar for this.
@kayoky-yowilliamsfilmcompo6727 · 374 likesOne of the finest movies ever made and I so wish it wasn't based on a true story.
@JLaw954 · 898 likesMy best friend in primary school and her family were survivors of this genocide. I make it a point to watch this movie every year to never forget what happened so that maybe it wont happen again.
@skarvha1 · 111 likesOne of the hardest true films to watch. The worst comment was when the cameraman said the truth about the world watching this on the evening news, and then they would go on to finish their dinner...
@Cassie-zm8dg · 14 likesJust finished this movie for a high school assignment. As much as this helped me understand how awful the genocide really was, this was one of the most traumatizing movies I’ve ever watched and it makes me tear up everytime I think about it. Its truly horrible how this was based…
@CANNED_POSSUMS · 364 likesDon Cheadle deserved an Oscar for this. My favorite movie of all time!!
@chuckkeller3012 · 123 likesCheadle has a massive aura of coolness. Sure this is an emotionally hard-hitting drama, but Cheadle still makes his character possess coolness.
@movie-mandan · 34 likesWho is still watching this EPIC movie after learning Paul Rusesabagina have been arrested since last year?
@TheImaginator972 · 130 likes
