The Terminal (2004)
Life is waiting.
An Eastern European tourist unexpectedly finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 17 June 2004 |
| Genre | Comedy, Drama |
| Director | Steven Spielberg |
| Starring | Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Stanley Tucci |
| Runtime | 128 min |
| Rated | PG-13 |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 6.2/10 · Metacritic 55/100 · Rotten Tomatoes 61% · TMDB users 7.4/10 |
| Budget | $60 million |
| Box office | $219 million worldwide |
Where to watch The Terminal
The Terminal is streaming on Fubo in the US. It is also on Paramount+ ($13.99 a month). If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Paramount+ is $13.99 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 25 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
Rent or buy
You can rent The Terminal on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home and JustWatch TV Store. It is also for sale on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch The Terminal in 40 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Albania | Netflix about |
| Andorra | Max |
| Austria | Skygo, Paramount+ |
| Azerbaijan | Netflix about |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | Netflix about |
| Bulgaria | Netflix €5.99 |
| Canada | Fubo |
| Croatia | Netflix €5.99 |
| Czechia | Netflix 259 Kč |
| France | Paramount+ |
| Germany | Paramount+, Skygo |
| Gibraltar | Prime Video |
| Guernsey | Prime Video |
| Hong Kong | Max |
| Hungary | Netflix 3190 Ft |
| Indonesia | Max |
| Ireland | Prime Video €6.99, Paramount+ |
| Israel | Netflix ₪32.90 |
| Italy | Skygo, Paramount+, Now TV |
| Japan | Netflix ¥1590 JPY, Prime Video ¥600 JPY, Hulu, U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Malaysia | Max |
| Moldova | Netflix about |
| Montenegro | Netflix |
| North Macedonia | Netflix about |
| Papua New Guinea | Max |
| Philippines | Max |
| Poland | Netflix 37.00 zł |
| Portugal | Max €9.99 |
| Romania | Netflix about 32.04 lei |
| Serbia | Netflix about 704 din |
| Singapore | Max |
| Slovakia | Netflix €9.49 |
| Slovenia | Netflix €5.99 |
| South Korea | Watcha |
| Spain | Max €10.99 |
| Switzerland | Paramount+ |
| Taiwan | Max |
| Thailand | Max |
| Ukraine | Netflix about ₴253 |
| United Kingdom | Prime Video £8.99 GBP, Paramount+ |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Steven Spielberg directs a 128-minute comedy-drama that treats a transit hub like a small, sealed village. Tom Hanks plays Viktor Navorski, an Eastern European tourist who unexpectedly finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there. The film leans into the absurdity of bureaucracy, asking how long it takes for a stranger to become a neighbor when the only exit is a passport you do not have. It is patient, warm, and occasionally frustrating in a way that feels true. The tagline, "Life is waiting," does a lot of heavy lifting here.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes lists a 61% approval rating from 206 critics, averaging 6.2 out of 10 as of January 2026. Metacritic sits at 55 out of 100 from 41 critics, a number that usually signals mixed or average reception. The consensus calls it a crowd-pleaser saved by a solid star turn. Roger Ebert gave it 3.5 stars, noting the premise could have been labored but Spielberg wove it into a gentle, true human comedy. Audiences polled by CinemaScore rated it a B+. It is not a masterpiece, but it is a warm one.
How it did with audiences
The Terminal cost $60 million and took $219 million worldwide. That is a solid return, though perhaps not the blockbuster explosion the studio might have hoped for. In the United States, it earned $78 million. On TMDB, users rate it 7.4 out of 10. Audiences found it pleasant enough, even if the opening weekend finish in second place suggests the hype died quickly.
What came next for the cast
Stanley Tucci pivoted from Road to Perdition to The Hunger Games. Catherine Zeta-Jones moved from Chicago to RED 2. Tom Hanks continued his steady run of major releases, adding Captain Phillips to his resume. The timeline does not prove The Terminal caused these shifts. It merely marks a point where the paths diverged. Careers are not straight lines. They are often a series of sharp, unexpected turns.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched The Terminal.
Sources
- The Terminal on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q318766 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “The Terminal” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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