DarkestHour, directed by Joe Wright, joins the Netflix catalog from July 16, 2025 and Prime Video from August 8, 2025. This historical drama stars Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, a key figure in the Second World War, during a critical period in British history. The film, released in cinemas in January 2018, traces Churchill's first days as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, against a backdrop of national and international crisis.
The trailer reveals a tense recreation of the political and military atmosphere of the spring of 1940, as the UK faces a decisive decision.
Dark Hours will be available on Netflix from July 16, 2025 and on Prime Video from August 8, 2025.
Synopsis: A brilliant and witty politician, Winston Churchill is one of the pillars of the UK Parliament, but at 65 he is already an unlikely candidate for the post of Prime Minister. He was nevertheless urgently appointed on May 10, 1940, following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain, and in a dramatic European context marked by successive Allied defeats by Nazi troops and the British army's inability to evacuate from Dunkirk. With the threat of an invasion of the United Kingdom looming, Churchill had to decide whether to negotiate or resist. With the help of his wife Clementine and his entourage, he draws on his convictions to rally his country.
The film focuses on Churchill's very first days as head of the British government, at a critical moment in the Second World War. The screenplay, by Anthony McCarten, focuses on the political and strategic issues surrounding Churchill's choice between negotiating with Nazi Germany or mobilizing the nation to resist. Churchill's inner conflict is at the heart of the story, supported by a faithful reconstruction of the debates in Parliament and the tensions with King George VI.
Gary Oldman plays Winston Churchill in a role that won him the Oscar for Best Actor. Through this performance, the film gives a human and vulnerable dimension to a historic political figure. It explores the psychology of power in the context of total war. Kristin Scott Thomas plays Clementine Churchill, and Ben Mendelsohn plays King George VI, in a tightly-knit cast focused on the spheres of British power.
Dark Hours is one of a series of films devoted to the Second World War, along with Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk and Tom Hooper's The King's Speech . It takes a more behind-the-scenes approach to power, moral dilemmas and the power of words. The direction emphasizes dark interiors, tense dialogues and the urgency of the decisions to be made in the face of an imminent invasion.
This film will appeal to fans of historical narratives, political dramas and biopics. It could be of interest to viewers of Lincoln, Bridge of Spies or The Crown. Its release on Netflix provides renewed accessibility for those curious about this period of European history, or for those who wish to deepen their knowledge of Churchill beyond the broad historical outlines.
Les Heures sombres(Darkest Hour) is a 2018 film by Joe Wright, focusing on the days following Winston Churchill's appointment as Prime Minister in May 1940. Set against a backdrop of war and extreme tension, the film looks back at his first speeches, his major political choices and the internal pressures he faces. Supported by Gary Oldman's award-winning performance, this is an intimate portrait of a leader in the midst of a national crisis.
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