Hacksaw Ridge is a 2016 biographical war film, directed by Mel Gibson and written by Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan. Starring Andrew Garfield, the film focuses on the World War II experiences of Desmond Doss, an American pacificist combat medic who was a Seventh-day Adventist Christian, refusing to carry or use a firearm or weapons of any kind. He became the first conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor, for service above and beyond the call of duty. It was released in the United States on November 4, 2016. The film was released to positive reviews, with a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 87%, based on 223 reviews, and an average rating of 7.2/10. Metacritic lists a score of 71 out of 100, based on 47 reviews.