Darkest Hour (2017)

Winston Churchill never rode the London Underground to ask strangers whether Britain should keep fighting, and the most crowd-pleasing scene in Darkest Hour pretends he did. It’s the moment the film swaps history for applause, and it’s the one real stumble. Everything else hangs on Gary Oldman, who disappears under the jowls and cigar smoke and plays Churchill as a man who’s loud because he’s terrified of being wrong. Joe Wright keeps most of it in dim offices and cramped war rooms, with thin blades of light cutting through, so the pressure feels physical. Ben Mendelsohn is excellent as King George VI, who doesn’t like Churchill and slowly decides to stand with him anyway. Kristin Scott Thomas makes Clementine sharp in a role that’s too small for her. It made $150.8 million worldwide on a reported $30M. A 7.3 because Oldman is towering and the film sometimes polishes the history to a shine. $99.28 says you look up the full text of one of those speeches tonight and read the last paragraph out loud, quietly, to yourself.

What works: Gary Oldman’s furious, frightened Churchill and Ben Mendelsohn’s careful king carry a story that’s mostly people arguing in rooms.

What doesn’t: The invented Underground scene turns a tense political fight into a feel-good moment, and Clementine barely gets a scene of her own.

Who it’s for: History fans who like their drama in war rooms and speeches, and anyone curious how close Britain came to talking peace.