The Substitute

Name: The Substitute
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Released: 1996-04-19
Duration: 1 h 54 min
Rating: 7
Cast: Tom Berenger, Raymond Cruz, Marc Anthony, William Forsythe, Luis Guzmán

1996·Movie·R·114 min·★ 7.0(609)

Action Crime Drama Thriller More English titles

“The most dangerous thing about school used to be the students.”

When an inner-city Miami schoolteacher gets her knee broken after standing up to the school's gang leader, her mercenary combat specialist boyfriend goes undercover as a substitute teacher to take down the punk. Soon he discovers a conspiracy of criminals at work, and must reassemble his team from his last jungle raid to stop them.

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Where to watch The Substitute in United States

Can I watch The Substitute in United States? Yes — you can stream The Substitute in United States on Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, and Philo, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.

Click a service to open The Substitute there. Availability last verified on October 1, 2026.

Where is The Substitute streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
India	—	Amazon Video
United Kingdom	Plex	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Sky Store
Canada	—	Apple TV Store, CosmoGo, Amazon Video
Australia	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Germany	Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Joyn	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
France	Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel	Canal VOD, Amazon Video
Spain	Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel	Rakuten TV, Amazon Video
Brazil	Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Mercado Play	—

About The Substitute

The Substitute is a 1996 English-language action, crime and drama film directed by Robert Mandel. The cast is led by Tom Berenger, Raymond Cruz, Marc Anthony. It has a runtime of 1h 54m. Viewers rate it 7.0/10 across 600 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Philo.

The Substitute was produced by Live Entertainment and made in United States of America. It was released on April 19, 1996, and carries a R certification. At the box office it grossed around $15 million worldwide.

Director: Robert Mandel
Writers: Rocco Simonelli, Alan Ormsby, Roy Frumkes
Release date: April 19, 1996
Original language: English
Age rating: R
Status: Released
Country: United States of America
Box office: $15 million
Production: Live Entertainment

#mercenary#gang#drug

The Substitute cast & crew

The Substitute was directed by Robert Mandel and written by Rocco Simonelli, Alan Ormsby, and Roy Frumkes.

The cast features Tom Berenger as Jonathan Shale, Raymond Cruz as Joey Six, Marc Anthony as Juan Lacas, William Forsythe as Hollan, Luis Guzmán as Rem, and Diane Venora as Jane Hetzko.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Gary Chang, cinematography is by Bruce Surtees, and it was produced by Steven Bakalar and Devorah Cutler.

Is The Substitute worth watching?

The Substitute holds an audience score of 7.0/10 from 609 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed action films.

At 1h 54m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy action, crime, and drama, The Substitute is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch The Substitute

In United States, you can stream The Substitute on Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, and Peacock Premium Plus, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.