Tears of the Sun
2003 · 121 min · Director: Antoine Fuqua
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
Navy SEAL Lieutenant A.K. Waters and his elite squadron of tactical specialists are forced to choose between their duty and their humanity, between following orders by ignoring the conflict that surrounds them, or finding the courage to follow their conscience and protect a group of innocent refugees. When the democratic government of Nigeria collapses and the country is taken over by a ruthless military dictator, Waters, a fiercely loyal and hardened veteran is dispatched on a routine mission to retrieve a Doctors Without Borders physician, Dr. Lena Kendricks. Dr. Kendricks, an American citizen by marriage, is tending to the victims of the ongoing civil war at a Catholic mission in a remote village. When Waters arrives, however, Dr. Kendricks refuses to leave unless he promises to help deliver the villagers to political asylum at the nearby border. If they are left behind, they will be at the mercy of the enormous rebel army. Waters is under strict orders from his commanding officer Captain Bill Rhodes to remain disengaged from the conflict. But as he and his men witness the brutality of the rebels first-hand, they are won over to Dr. Kendricks' cause and place their lives at risk by agreeing to escort the villagers on a perilous trek through the dense jungle. As they move through the countryside on foot, Waters' team, experts at evasion and concealment, are inexplicably and ferociously pursued by an army of rebels. They are confounded until they discover that, among the refugees, is the sole survivor of the country's previous ruling family, whom the rebels have been ordered to eliminate at all costs. Waters and his small band of soldiers must weigh the life of one man against their own and the refugees they feel obliged to protect.
Your viewing check-in
Emotional fingerprint
Tears of the Sun (2003) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Anxiety 30%, Empathy 25%, Tension 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Anxiety30%
- Empathy25%
- Tension20%
- Inspiration15%
- Sadness10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Anxiety, Empathy, Tension. Genres: Thriller, Drama, Action. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Anxiety, Empathy and Tension. Its IMDb rating of 6.6/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 68/100.
How did it make you feel?
Votes are saved to the fingerprint once you’re signed in.
Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Tension
- Empathy
- Disturbing
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion: Empathy
Dominant emotion: Relief
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Tension | Empathy | Disturbing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 3′ | Tension | 62 % | 58 % | 35 % | 38 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 9′ | Tension | 60 % | 55 % | 45 % | 25 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 15′ | Sadness | 63 % | 55 % | 53 % | 18 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 21′ | Tension | 65 % | 61 % | 48 % | 20 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 27′ | Tension | 69 % | 69 % | 48 % | 35 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 33′ | Tension | 76 % | 74 % | 61 % | 48 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 39′ | Empathy | 76 % | 71 % | 63 % | 36 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 45′ | Tension | 73 % | 69 % | 51 % | 35 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 51′ | Tension | 74 % | 71 % | 54 % | 46 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 57′ | Tension | 79 % | 63 % | 66 % | 54 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 64′ | Sadness | 80 % | 44 % | 74 % | 56 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 70′ | Empathy | 75 % | 48 % | 65 % | 40 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 76′ | Tension | 76 % | 70 % | 49 % | 36 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 82′ | Tension | 78 % | 74 % | 49 % | 36 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 88′ | Empathy | 79 % | 71 % | 64 % | 30 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 94′ | Tension | 86 % | 83 % | 70 % | 40 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 100′ | Tension | 89 % | 88 % | 68 % | 41 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 106′ | Relief | 88 % | 68 % | 73 % | 26 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 112′ | Relief | 88 % | 40 % | 78 % | 13 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 118′ | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence |
Rags to riches
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Kadri — your film companion
AIAsk anything about Tears of the Sun. From the film’s own dialogue and FeelDB data, at your spoiler level.
Kadri
Hi, I’m Kadri. Ask me anything about Tears of the Sun — I’ll stay inside your spoiler line.
Premise onlyAfterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Jason 'Flea' Mabry
Demetrius 'Silk' Owens
Danny 'Doc' Kelley
Musa
Lasana
General Mustafa Yakubu
Amaka
Details
- Directed by
- Antoine Fuqua
- Written by
- Patrick Cirillo, Alex Lasker
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 2003
- Runtime
- 121 min
- Country
- United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Anxiety
- Data updated
Where to watch
Subscription
Rent
Feels similar
More like this →Emotion overlap shows mood similarity, not a prediction of enjoyment.





