A “masterpiece” World War 2 film starring Tom Cruise is streaming now in the UK. Valkyrie (2008) is a historical thriller dramatising a real-life attempt by German officers to assassinate infamous dictator and mass murderer Adolf Hitler in July 1944.
Cruise stars as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, one of the key players in the plot to rid Germany of the autocrat, and and use an emergency continuity-of-government operations plan called Operation Valkyrie to wrestle back control of the country from the Nazis. The all-star cast also includes Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Eddie Izzard, Terence Stamp, and Tom Wilkinson. It was directed by Bryan Singer from a screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander. The critical reception was somewhat mixed, though some viewers were blown away.
One, who called it a “masterpiece”, wrote on IMDb: “I can’t find words to describe this, but all I can say is that I was totally amazed that I kept talking about this movie for one whole week after seeing it!”
Another wrote: “How do you make a genuinely interesting and suspenseful film when the general outcome of the story is already known?
“Well…they did it! A fascinating tale of courageous men who almost succeeded in assassinating Hitler. Good performances all around – including Tom Cruise.”
A third said it’s a “tense, interesting period thriller that may not conform to every minute historical detail, but tells a complex story in a faithful, entertaining way”.
“One of Cruise’s better dramatic performances, and I wish he would do more of this and fewer Mission Impossible sequels.”
A fourth wrote: “The beauty of this film is that despite knowing the outcomes of this period in history, you are still on the edge of your seat.
“For a brief moment, you might even expect or hope for the plot to succeed. The film also begs the question of what could have been had it succeeded.”
The film has a 12 certificate and contains moderate violence and one use of strong language.
As of Saturday, April 18, fans 11 days left to watch Valkyrie on Amazon Prime Video in the UK. It’s also available to buy or rent or YouTube and Apple TV.