Netflix now streaming World War 2 film 'more captivating than Dunkirk'

A fresh arrival on Netflix UK is Darkest Hour, the World War 2 drama wherein Gary Oldman delivers an Oscar-winning portrayal of Winston Churchill. Previously taken off the platform, Netflix users can watch the Oscar-winning picture again as of July 2025.

Helmed by Joe Wright, who directed the wartime romance Atonement, the story unfolds during one crucial month where Churchill considers negotiating peace with Hitler or continuing the fight. The wartime drama garnered nominations across the Academy Awards, BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and beyond.

The movie boasts an 84% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics' consensus states: "Darkest Hour is held together by Gary Oldman's electrifying performance, which brings Winston Churchill to life even when the movie's narrative falters."

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Acclaim for Oldman's turn was virtually unanimous, though critics were divided about the merits of the overall film. As The New Yorker put it: "How badly we need another Winston Churchill film is open to question. Nonetheless, Joe Wright's contribution to the genre is welcome, largely because of Gary Oldman in the leading role."

"It's an amazing performance: the only star turn I've seen in which a famous actor visible in nearly every scene would be unrecognisable if we didn't know his name already," said The Financial Times.

However, Metro praised Wright for bringing his "trademark flashes of visual aplomb" as a director, observing: "[He] captures the peril of Nazi invasion with thrilling immediacy, despite being almost entirely confined to the claustrophobic corridors of power."

Reviewers also drew parallels with Dunkirk, with the Radio Times' Damon Wise calling Darkest Hour a "near-perfect companion piece" to that film.

Darkest Hour plot summary

The World War 2 drama focuses on a brief but pivotal moment in British history. Beginning in May 1940, the story opens as Neville Chamberlain is compelled to step down as prime minister.

Churchill, unpopular even with fellow Conservatives, assumes the role of PM whilst Nazi troops push westward. Facing pressure to broker a peace deal with Germany, Churchill confronts a cabinet poised for mutiny.

Despite this, Churchill launches Operation Dynamo, also known as the Dunkirk evacuation . The film concludes with Oldman delivering Churchill's iconic 'We shall fight on the beaches' address to the House of Commons that galvanised public support for the conflict.

What audiences think of the film

Darkest Hour boasts an 82% 'fresh' rating with Rotten Tomatoes vieweres. One person commented: "The film has it's flaws, but Gary Oldman is phenomenal in this."

A Google user was moved to write: "Darkest Hour is so well crafted on a whole movie level start to finish and so well acted and again I got teared up a couple times last night after seeing DH again finally and that to me is a movie doing its job being powerful as it is!".

The top Letterboxd review, with 800 likes, joked: "I want a cage match with Joe Wright and Tom Hooper [director of The King's Speech]."

Drawing comparisons to Dunkirk, another said: "An electric chamber piece that couldn’t more perfectly complement 'Dunkirk' if Christopher Nolan wrote it, 'Darkest Hour' is as rousing and ferocious as Winston Churchill was himself.'

Meanwhile, over on the MoviePassClub subreddit, a cinema buff admitted: "I definitely enjoyed Darkest Hour more than Dunkirk, as Dunkirk did not make us care about any of its characters, other than wondering what the writers or director thought killing off the youngster in the boat accomplished for their story. Anyhow, a whole lot more context in the Churchill story than in the Dunkirk movie."