/6prkTmEEsB3f9hhKBzUePLe27b2.jpg
DramaHistory

Darkest Hour

- Never never never surrender

In May 1940, the fate of World War II hangs on Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Adolf Hitler or fight on knowing that it could mean the end of the British Empire.

Release Date : 2017-11-22

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Working Title FilmsPerfect World PicturesFocus Features

Production Country : United KingdomUnited States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Gary Oldman

Character Name : Winston Churchill

Original Name : Gary Oldman

Gender : Male

Kristin Scott Thomas

Character Name : Clemmie

Original Name : Kristin Scott Thomas

Gender : Female

Ben Mendelsohn

Character Name : King George VI

Original Name : Ben Mendelsohn

Gender : Male

Lily James

Character Name : Elizabeth Layton

Original Name : Lily James

Gender : Female

Ronald Pickup

Character Name : Neville Chamberlain

Original Name : Ronald Pickup

Gender : Male

Stephen Dillane

Character Name : Viscount Halifax

Original Name : Stephen Dillane

Gender : Male

Nicholas Jones

Character Name : Sir John Simon

Original Name : Nicholas Jones

Gender : Male

Samuel West

Character Name : Sir Anthony Eden

Original Name : Samuel West

Gender : Male

David Schofield

Character Name : Clement Atlee

Original Name : David Schofield

Gender : Male

Richard Lumsden

Character Name : General Ismay

Original Name : Richard Lumsden

Gender : Male

Malcolm Storry

Character Name : General Ironside

Original Name : Malcolm Storry

Gender : Male

Hilton McRae

Character Name : Arthur Greenwood

Original Name : Hilton McRae

Gender : Male

Benjamin Whitrow

Character Name : Sir Samuel Hoare

Original Name : Benjamin Whitrow

Gender : Male

Joe Armstrong

Character Name : John Evans

Original Name : Joe Armstrong

Gender : Male

Adrian Rawlins

Character Name : Air Chief Marshal Dowding

Original Name : Adrian Rawlins

Gender : Male

David Bamber

Character Name : Admiral Ramsay

Original Name : David Bamber

Gender : Male

Paul Leonard

Character Name : Admiral Dudley Pound

Original Name : Paul Leonard

Gender : Male

David Strathairn

Character Name : President Roosevelt (voice)

Original Name : David Strathairn

Gender : Male

Eric MacLennan

Character Name : Tom Leonard

Original Name : Eric MacLennan

Gender : Male

Philip Martin Brown

Character Name : Sawyers

Original Name : Philip Martin Brown

Gender : Male

Demetri Goritsas

Character Name : Cabinet Secretary Bridges

Original Name : Demetri Goritsas

Gender : Male

Jordan Waller

Character Name : Randolph Churchill

Original Name : Jordan Waller

Gender : Male

Alex Clatworthy

Character Name : Diana Churchill

Original Name : Alex Clatworthy

Gender : Female

Mary Antony

Character Name : Mary Churchill

Original Name : Mary Antony

Gender : Female

Bethany Muir

Character Name : Sarah Churchill

Original Name : Bethany Muir

Gender : Female

Anna Burnett

Character Name : Pamela Churchill

Original Name : Anna Burnett

Gender : Female

Jeremy Child

Character Name : Lord Stanhope

Original Name : Jeremy Child

Gender : Male

Brian Pettifer

Character Name : Lord Kingsley Wood

Original Name : Brian Pettifer

Gender : Male

Michael Gould

Character Name : Lord Londonderry

Original Name : Michael Gould

Gender : Male

Paul Ridley

Character Name : House of Commons Speaker

Original Name : Paul Ridley

Gender : Male

Robin Pearce

Character Name : Ernle Hastings

Original Name : Robin Pearce

Gender : Male

Michael Bott

Character Name : Equerry

Original Name : Michael Bott

Gender : Male

Olivier Broche

Character Name : Reynaud

Original Name : Olivier Broche

Gender : Male

Mario Hacquard

Character Name : Daladier

Original Name : Mario Hacquard

Gender : Male

Pip Torrens

Character Name : BBC Producer

Original Name : Pip Torrens

Gender : Male

Edmund Wiseman

Character Name : Actor

Original Name : Edmund Wiseman

Gender : Male

Hannah Steele

Character Name : Abigail Walker

Original Name : Hannah Steele

Gender : Female

Nia Gwynne

Character Name : Alice Simpson

Original Name : Nia Gwynne

Gender : Female

Ade Dee Haastrup

Character Name : Marcus Peters

Original Name : Ade Dee Haastrup

Gender : Male

James Eeles

Character Name : Maurice Baker

Original Name : James Eeles

Gender : Male

Flora Nicholson

Character Name : Jessie Sutton

Original Name : Flora Nicholson

Gender : Male

Bronte Carmichael

Character Name : Young Girl on Tube

Original Name : Bronte Carmichael

Gender : Female

Roisin O'Neill

Character Name : Agnes Dillon

Original Name : Roisin O'Neill

Gender : Female

John Locke

Character Name : Oliver Wilson

Original Name : John Locke

Gender : Male

Joanna Neary

Character Name : Margaret Jerome

Original Name : Joanna Neary

Gender : Female

Richard Glover

Character Name : Brigadier Nicholson

Original Name : Richard Glover

Gender : Male

Tom Ashley

Character Name : Ramsay Staffer

Original Name : Tom Ashley

Gender : Male

Joshua Higgott

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Joshua Higgott

Gender : Male

Imogen King

Character Name : Teenage Girl at Tube Map

Original Name : Imogen King

Gender : Female

Miles Gallant

Character Name : Naval Map-Room Officer

Original Name : Miles Gallant

Gender : Male

Faye Marsay

Character Name : Sybil

Original Name : Faye Marsay

Gender : Female

John Atterbury

Character Name : Sir Alexander Cadogan

Original Name : John Atterbury

Gender : Male

James Harkness

Character Name : AD Nicholl (Secretary #1)

Original Name : James Harkness

Gender : Male

Joshua James

Character Name : W D Wilkinson (Secretary #2)

Original Name : Joshua James

Gender : Male

Charley Palmer Rothwell

Character Name : Christopher Wilson (Photographer)

Original Name : Charley Palmer Rothwell

Gender : Male

Patsy Ferran

Character Name : Maid

Original Name : Patsy Ferran

Gender : Female

Sarah Flind

Character Name : Cook

Original Name : Sarah Flind

Gender : Female

Steffan Donnelly

Character Name : Back Bencher

Original Name : Steffan Donnelly

Gender : Male

Kieran Buckeridge

Character Name : Cecil Beaton

Original Name : Kieran Buckeridge

Gender : Male

Johnny Otto

Character Name : Member of Parliament (uncredited)

Original Name : Johnny Otto

Gender : Male

Nick Howden-Steenstra

Character Name : Sentry (uncredited)

Original Name : Nick Howden-Steenstra

Gender : Male

Reviews

M

Mex5150

@Mex5150

2021-06-23

I have no idea why people are raving about this film, it's a bit crap, it's probably Oldman weakest performance to date, and the cinematography is terrible. Churchill with Brian Cox in the lead role is a FAR superior film on the subject.

G

Gimly

@Ruuz

2021-06-23

As with many of the biopics I've seen recently, _Darkest Hour_ is more focussed on delivering you the facts than getting you involved with the characters. It is an interesting idea to have the majority of the story revolve around the of whether or not to sue for peace. That as a core concept in so much as the question of "Do I take the guarantee of saving my country or do I take the risk of saving the world?" and beyond that "Is there even a right answer to that question? And who am I to decide something this big?" is a great philosophical centre for a movie. But I never felt like I knew why any of these people had the answers that they gave. I get that in a historical context, these aren't characters they are real life people, so they answers they had are the answers we see, but again, we are only given the _what_, not the _why_. Except you can throw all of that away because here comes Gary Oldman in his Oscar nominated transformation to make this movie 100% worth watching. _Final rating:★★★ - I liked it. Would personally recommend you give it a go._

B

barrymost

@barrymost

2021-06-23

It's 1940, and Hitler is attempting to take over Europe. The film takes an interesting look at Winston Churchill's first five weeks as Prime Minister. The acting in this movie is quite accomplished; good actors bring insight and depth to the characters. Overall, it's a well-done, engrossing film. Gary Oldman's performance as Winston Churchill was very good indeed, and his delivery of Churchill's speeches alone make watching the movie worthwhile!

R

Ruggerview

@Ruggerview

2021-06-23

I saw this film at TIFF on the big screen and loved it. There's not a weak member of the cast. I really loved the way the photography reflected the sense of gloom that would have been felt by the people facing a new war. Big thumbs up, gives a strong sense of the time and place.

P

Peter89Spencer

@Peter89Spencer

2021-06-23

Gary Oldman was superb as Churchill.

P

Peter McGinn

@narrator56

2023-01-06

I thought I might have seen this a couple pf years ago, but I still enjoyed it. There have been a few movies about Churchill’s rise to power at the outset of World War II. This one seems to cover the least amount of ground, focusing on his thought processes, the political climate and his personal life leading only up to the beginning of the Dunkirk evacuation. I thought there were two things the film did well with its strong writing and actor portrayal: the first was to present Churchill, a larger than life character, as just a life-size person, with the foibles and weaknesses he carried around with him. The other strength was in building depth into some of the secondary characters. His new aide typist, for example, is ready to quit after Churchill yells at her unfairly. It would have been easy to rehabilitate him for that temper tantrum by having him soften towards her and convince her to stay on. Instead she leaves the building, is handed an important communication from the king, and decides for herself to stay on and do the job. Churchill is the focal point pf the film, but again and again he shares the limelight onscreen with others like this, such as the extended scene in the subway. So within it’s narrow focus, I think the movie does a great job telling the story of this interlude from history.

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-05-29

A tour de force from Gary Oldman as he portrays Winston Churchill in his first few months of office at the start of WWII. Oddly enough though, aside from a few brief appearances from Kristin Scott-Thomas, the rest of the cast in this historical biopic are really quite unremarkable. The speeches are delivered magnificently; but there are too many speculative machinations going on - not least those involving King George VI - that do bring the credibility of this into question. There was plenty of accurately documented reportage from this time to enable Anthony McCarten to pen an entertaining script based more on the facts of this unsteady period of Churchill's premiership; Dunkirk; his relationship with Halifax & Roosevelt etc. rather than invent storylines. The attention to detail is superb and Oldman well deserved his second Oscar.