A lesser-known war film from 2016 that viewers have praised for its power and ‘superb acting’ is now available on streaming.
Telling the daring true story of two Czech resistance soldiers who parachuted into their occupied homeland in an attempt to assassinate a senior Nazi officer, the film stars Irish actors Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan, and Charlotte Le Bon.
Murphy plays Jozef Gabčík and Dornan plays Jan Kubiš in Anthropoid, named after the real-life war operation from 1942 that it recounts, targeting high-ranking SS and Nazi police official Reinhard Heydrich.
He was one of the principal architects of the Holocaust and also one of the most sinister Nazi figures within the regime, whom Hitler called ‘the man with the iron heart’.
The cast also includes Game of Thrones star Harry Lloyd and Toby Jones, with the independent flick – directed by Sean Ellis – made for just $9million (£6.6m).
Since then of course, Murphy has gone on to win the best actor Oscar for another highly regarded WWII-based film, Sir Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, but Anthropoid has still captured plenty of fans in the decade since it was released.
As of this week, it’s now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the UK for subscribers, where it’s got a four-and-a-half star rating out of a possible five.
‘This movie was insanely ahead of its time, from the pacing, to the cinematography, to the acting, to the production value itself,’ enthused fan Kira H on Rotten Tomatoes.
‘This movie is a hidden gem, and one of Cillian Murphy’s best films. I am in awe.’
‘This has to be the most underrated World War II movies of all time,’ agreed Matt S. ‘There are so many unknown amazing stories from the war and I’m glad that the creators decided to shed light on this one. Amazing action and amazing drama; great movie!’
Many others also repeated their praise of Anthropoid, particularly for ‘illuminating’ a piece of history they ‘had absolutely no idea existed’.
Another fan added in a five-star reaction, adding to the fresh audience rating of 71%: ‘As a Slovak person, I am deeply touched by the performance of all actors. I’d also like to note that the production included Czech actors to star in the film about Czechoslovakia. I find it a sign of respect.’
In rave reviews on Prime Video, fans also branded Anthropoid ‘possibly the best World War II film ever’ and said they had been ‘totally enthralled’ by it.
Critics were a little less effusive, but still looked on the film mostly positively, as it sits on a 67% fresh score from 105 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Seattle Times called it ‘a gripping picture’, while The Washington Post’s full-marks review observed: ‘War movies all too often take it for granted that some causes are worth dying for. To have characters grapple with that notion, imperfectly, is nothing short of cathartic.’
However The Scotsman’s critic felt that filmmaker Ellis ‘doesn’t really do it justice’ and Rolling Stone suggested it was ‘an opportunity missed’, adding: ‘Anthropoid reduces a riveting and resonant piece of WW2 history to moral muddle and monotonous filmmaking.’
Empire Magazine praised it as ‘a compelling and moving interpretation of a largely forgotten moment in European history’ and The Telegraph rated it as a film ‘that does every justice to the bravery of two men who undoubtedly altered the course of the Second World War’.
Murphy, who has just been seen, slightly unexpectedly, in Taylor Swift’s latest music video for Opalite, will next be on our screens for his much anticipated return as Tommy Shelby in the Peaky Blinders movie The Immortal Man.
Dornan was last on the big screen in Sir Kenneth Branagh’s Agatha Christie adaptation A Haunting in Venice in 2023, and will next appear in Michael Cera’s directorial debut Love Is Not the Answer with Pamela Anderson and Steve Coogan.
Anthropoid is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.