An Oscar-winning World War 2 film about Britain’s historic battle against Nazi Germany that was hailed by fans a “masterpiece” is now streaming for free in the UK. Darkest Hour (2017) stars Gary Oldman as war-time UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the early weeks of his premiership.
The biopic sees him passionately resisting calls from within the political establishment to negotiate with Adolf Hitler’s genocidal regime, instead calling for Britain to stand up to the dictator. Oldman won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance as the cigar-smoking statesman. The cast also includes Kristin Scott Thomas as Churchill’s wife Clementine, as well as Lily James, Stephen Dillane, Ronald Pickup and Ben Mendelsohn. It was directed by Joe Wright from a screenplay by Anthony McCarten, and was critically acclaimed.
Kazu Hiro, David Malinowski, and Lucy Sibbick also got gongs for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Fans have taken to Rotten Tomatoes to pour praise on the film, with one saying: “I learned a lot and I am a history junkie. A masterpiece.”
A second added: “Whilst the historical accuracy of some aspects of the plot has been questioned, this is undoubtedly a fine movie and Oldman in particular has, rightly, been singled out for praises and awards.”
A third chimed in: “Gary Oldman gives an absolutely outstanding performance as Winston Churchill. This movie did a great job showing an important period in the beginning of the war & Oldman carries the film amazingly. Lily James also quietly gave a great effort as well.”
A fourth wrote that film shows Oldman “like you have never seen him before, absolutely stunning in his portrayal of Winston Churchill”.
“Very intelligently written and brought to screen,” they added. “Fantastic cinematography creates the perfect ambiance. Technically superb movie with all the basic elements of top class production.
“Whole cast excels in character. Tense, gripping, suspense filled and gritty. Highly entertaining and captivating.”
Darkest Hour is streaming for free on BBC iPlayer. It’s also available to stream on Prime Video, or buy or rent on other platforms.
