Cillian Murphy stars in ‘breathtaking’ war film that is now streaming on Netflix

Christopher Nolan’s war film Dunkirk is now available to watch on Netflix.

Cillian Murphy stars in Dunkirk

A “breathtaking” war epic from director Christopher Nolan has hit Netflix, streaming eight years after its initial release.

The film “Dunkirk,” featuring Harry Styles, Cillian Murphy, Jack Lowden, and Tom Hardy, was the top-grossing WWII film until Nolan’s 2023 hit “Oppenheimer.” The 2017 flick vividly portrays the WWII Dunkirk evacuation through the perspectives of soldiers on the beach, rescuing boat crews, and RAF pilots in aerial combat.

The intense drama scored eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, and clinched three Academy Awards for Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Film Editing. With a stellar 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, critics have lauded the film for its direction, visuals, plot, sound, and music. Meanwhile, Murphy fans have been urged to watch ‘one of the greatest movies ever’ available on Amazon.

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Karen Han of Slashfilm remarked: “The visuals, the structure, the use of sound and music, and the simple presence of a beating heart – all come together in a whole that is truly breathtaking.”

Dunkirk wowed critics

Kristen Lopez from Culturess commented: “Outside of its historical significance Dunkirk shows off Nolan’s own techniques as a filmmaker to make for a film that is technically, if not completely narratively, lustrous.

“Masterful visual storytelling on an epic scale,” praised Bob Mondello from NPR. Jason Bailey of Flavorwire offered a mixed review of Dunkirk, stating, “A genuinely powerful and emotionally resonant glimpse into the fog of war, told viscerally and masterfully by a top-notch filmmaker in full command of his gifts. But Nolan indulges in a structural flourish that, for this viewer, simply doesn’t play.”

The WW2 film has garnered acclaim from general audiences as well, with one viewer exclaiming: “Dunkirk is cinematic mastery – minimal dialogue, intense score, and real-time tension create pure immersion. Zimmer’s music and Nolan’s structure turn history into breathtaking, emotional art.”

Another hailed Dunkirk as “Nolan’s finest work” and “a masterpiece.”

One fan confessed their initial confusion in theaters due to the movie’s structure and dialogue volume, but after a second viewing at home, they “When I watched it in theaters I was a bit confused by the structure and it was hard to understand the dialogue, i think it was too low and coupled with the accents sometimes it was hard to follow but I still enjoyed it. I just rewatched it at home and absolutely loved it.”

Dunkirk’s visuals were praised (Image: Melinda Sue Gordon)

Another comment on Rotten Tomatoes read: “Christopher Nolan is a magician. It’s like everything he touches turns into gold. The way he lets the story play out is magnificent. From the acting, the writing, the score, the visuals, it just works great. What a great film!”

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What distinguished the movie in the film industry was its stellar cast, featuring ex-One Direction member Harry, who launched his solo career after his boy band days. Dunkirk served as the singer’s acting initiation. The singer subsequently appeared in Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling, among other roles, garnering commendation for his debut performance, reports the Mirror US.

Beyond its Oscar triumph, the film also received recognition at the BAFTAs, securing the Best Sound Award. Dunkirk, with a runtime of one hour and 47 minutes, is currently accessible for viewing on Netflix.

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