Darkest Hour (2017)
86%RT Audience Score: 82%
Awards & Nominations: Won 2 Oscars
54 wins & 82 nominations total
Darkest Hour is held together by Gary Oldman’s electrifying performance, which brings Winston Churchill to life even when the movie’s narrative falters
Darkest Hour is like a history lesson, but with Gary Oldman as the teacher. He’s so good, you’ll forget you’re learning something. The film itself may have some flaws, but it’s worth watching just to see Oldman transform into Churchill. Plus, Joe Wright’s camera work is so wild, it’s like it’s on a sugar high. Overall, it’s a solid movie that will make you appreciate the immense courage Churchill had, even if it does spiral off into the further realms of fantasy at times.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Focus Features
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Wentworth Woodhouse, Wentworth, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for some thematic material
Year of Release
2017
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Atmos
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 5m
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Language(s):English, French, German, Italian
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Country of origin:United Kingdom
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 22, 2017 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 27, 2018
Genre(s)
Biography/War
Keyword(s)
starring Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn, Lily James, Ronald Pickup, Stephen Dillane, directed by Joe Wright, written by Anthony McCarten, biography, war, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Robert Daniels, Mark Kermode, Michael Sragow, Philip Kemp, Udita Jhunjhunwala, Ryan Gilbey, Brian Eggert, Milana Vujkov, Jason Adams, Leo Brady, Tony Black, PG-13, Winston Churchill, Clementine Churchill, King George VI, Neville Chamberlain, Viscount Halifax, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten, Douglas Urbanski, Dolby Atmos, Flat (1.85:1)
Worldwide gross: $150,847,274
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $181,957,423
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 747
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 19,842,685
US/Canada gross: $56,468,410
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $68,114,233
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 935
US/Canada opening weekend: $175,006
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $211,099
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,647
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $30,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $36,187,082
Production budget ranking: 1,034
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $19,486,744
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $126,283,598
ROI to date (est.): 227%
ROI ranking: 582
Kristin Scott Thomas – Clementine Churchill
Ben Mendelsohn – King George VI
Lily James – Elizabeth Layton
Ronald Pickup – Neville Chamberlain
Stephen Dillane – Viscount Halifax
Director(s)
Joe Wright
Writer(s)
Anthony McCarten
Producer(s)
Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten, Douglas Urbanski
Film Festivals
Telluride, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
Won 2 Oscars
54 wins & 82 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Makeup Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Winners
All Critics (318) | Top Critics (77) | Fresh (266) | Rotten (52)
Darkest Hour demonstrates the immense courage Churchill had. It doesn’t fully absolve and deify him, rather humanizes.
September 5, 2018 | Rating: 3/4
Robert Daniels
812filmreviews
TOP CRITIC
I don’t want to undermine my admiration for Gary Oldman’s performance, but I think the film itself is flawed.
August 28, 2018
Mark Kermode
Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review
TOP CRITIC
In Darkest Hour, Wright’s charged, blustery framework pulls the audience into a distant political landscape. But his approach here is also limiting and nearly wearying.
March 8, 2018
Michael Sragow
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
It’s when Churchill is at his most beleaguered that Darkest Hour spirals off into the further realms of fantasy.
March 6, 2018 | Rating: 5
Philip Kemp
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
Oldman has already bagged the Golden Globe for his performance, and it is he who elevates Darkest Hour beyond Wright’s stuffy, sluggish and stagy filmmaking into a reflective and passable drama.
January 19, 2018
Udita Jhunjhunwala
Scroll.in
TOP CRITIC
The script has been written with the caps lock on and Joe Wright directs accordingly.
January 18, 2018
Ryan Gilbey
New Statesman
TOP CRITIC
Stirring though the proceedings may sometimes be, Darkest Hour resists absolute immersion so that its audience will notice how much effort went into its making.
March 16, 2022 | Rating: 2.5/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Saying no to the devil after walking through the valley of the shadow of death for two hours should get a bit more love.
July 29, 2021 | Rating: 2/5
Milana Vujkov
Lola On Film
Joe Wright’s tireless camera seems incapable of plunking itself down where ever you expect it to – oh no he’s over there, to the side, or swooping in god like, bomb like, from above. The movie’s all the better for it
July 14, 2021
Jason Adams
My New Plaid Pants
From the 4-star lead performance from Oldman to the expert direction from Joe Wright, Darkest Hour is a rousing success.
June 8, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Leo Brady
AMovieGuy.com
It’s a film that delivers you everything you’d expect from it, handsomely produced, confidently crafted and risk-free.
April 29, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Olly Richards
NME
Darkest Hour marries the mythological Churchill alongside the romantic fantasy of a righteous war.
January 31, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Tony Black
Cultural Conversation…
Plot
During World War II, as Adolf Hitler’s powerful Wehrmacht rampages across Europe, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Neville Chamberlain, is forced to resign, recommending Winston Churchill as his replacement. But even in his early days as the country’s leader, Churchill is under pressure to commence peace negotiations with Hitler or to fight head-on the seemingly invincible Nazi regime, whatever the cost. However difficult and dangerous his decision may be, Churchill has no choice but to shine in the country’s darkest hour.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Gary Oldman’s performance as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour won him an Oscar for Best Actor.
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