Daylight (1996) is a gripping disaster-action film directed by Rob Cohen and starring Sylvester Stallone in a rare, heroic, yet emotionally grounded role. The film combines suspense, claustrophobia, and courage in a race against time to save survivors trapped beneath the Hudson River after a catastrophic tunnel explosion.
The story begins with a typical day in New York City, where the Holland Tunnel serves as one of the main routes connecting Manhattan and New Jersey. Among the many people using the tunnel are a group of criminals fleeing a robbery, a struggling playwright, a family traveling with their dog, and a van of juvenile offenders being transported to a detention center.
Their lives intersect when the criminals crash their getaway car into a truck carrying toxic waste, triggering a massive explosion deep inside the tunnel. The blast collapses both ends of the tunnel, trapping dozens of survivors inside a dark, airless, and flooding structure. The explosion kills most of the rescue workers and seals off all normal escape routes, leaving the survivors with almost no hope of rescue.
Enter Kit Latura (Sylvester Stallone), a former Emergency Medical Services (EMS) chief who now works as a cab driver after a tragic accident ended his rescue career. When he hears about the explosion, Kit rushes to the scene, driven by instinct and guilt from his past. Despite being told it’s too dangerous, he devises a daring plan to enter the tunnel through a ventilation shaft, risking his life to reach the trapped survivors.
Once inside, Kit takes charge of the group, which includes Madelyne Thompson (Amy Brenneman), a writer who becomes his ally and emotional anchor. Using his knowledge of tunnel design and emergency procedures, Kit leads the survivors through collapsing passages, rising water, fires, and falling debris. Each scene builds tension as the environment grows more unstable.
As the tunnel begins to flood completely, Kit sacrifices himself to blast open a blocked passage, creating a narrow escape route. Though severely injured, he ensures that Madelyne and the others make it out alive before rescuers pull him from the rubble at the last possible moment.
Daylight concludes with the survivors being airlifted to safety while Kit and Madelyne share a moment of quiet relief, symbolizing survival, redemption, and the human will to endure.
The film stands out for its realistic special effects, intense pacing, and Stallone’s grounded performance as an everyman hero—proving that courage and compassion can shine even in the darkest, most desperate situations.
