Gary Oldman’s “gripping” historical drama is now streaming on the BBC

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Okay, so Gary Oldman is a legend – he’s always been amazing at playing the bad guys. But the role that finally got him an Oscar was when he played Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. And get this – it’s now available to stream in the UK! Seriously, if you haven’t seen it, check it out – his performance is incredible.

Directed by Joe Wright and written by Anthony McCarten, this historical drama features a celebrated actor playing Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister who led the United Kingdom through World War II.

The film is set during the beginning of Winston Churchill’s time as Prime Minister, when he was dealing with the growing danger of Nazi Germany and internal struggles within his government. Churchill faced challenges from all sides and had to prepare for difficult times ahead.

The war drama Darkest Hour received widespread praise and numerous awards when it was released in theaters from late 2017 to early 2018. Here’s a comprehensive overview of the film.

Who is in Darkest Hour?

The film features Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, Kristin Scott Thomas as Clementine Churchill, Lily James as Elizabeth Layton, Ben Mendelsohn as King George VI, Stephen Dillane as Viscount Halifax, and Ronald Pickup as Neville Chamberlain.

What did the critics say about Darkest Hour?

Rotten Tomatoes reports an 84% approval rating for the film, based on 310 reviews. Critics agree that Gary Oldman’s powerful performance is the highlight, even if the story itself has a few weaknesses.

What to Read Next

According to Empire Magazine, Gary Oldman delivers a career-best performance as Churchill, particularly capturing the intensity of his most challenging period. While Oldman’s portrayal is the main draw, the magazine also suggests the film as a whole is worth watching for other reasons.

According to the Toronto Star, Oldman delivers a performance filled with both sharp humor and deep empathy, appearing perfectly cast in the role – a significant achievement given the number of talented actors who have previously portrayed Churchill.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Gary Oldman delivers some of his finest acting through powerful speeches inspired by Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. The Arizona Republic simply praised his performance as “terrific.”

Gary Oldman received the Best Actor award from the Oscars, BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild. His film, Darkest Hour, was also nominated for Best Picture at both the Oscars and BAFTAs.

Where can I stream Darkest Hour?

I’m so glad this amazing period drama is currently streaming on BBC iPlayer here in the UK! I caught it on BBC Two over the weekend, and it was fantastic. But heads up – it won’t be available forever. The iPlayer listing disappears on June 15th, so you’ll need to watch it quickly if you don’t want to miss out!

If you miss watching Darkest Hour on BBC iPlayer, you can still see it on Prime Video. It’s available to rent there for £3.49 if you don’t have a subscription.

Other Gary Oldman movies you can stream right now

With a Prime Video subscription, you can enjoy some of Gary Oldman’s thriller films, like Killers Anonymous and The Courier (this is a different film than the spy drama with Benedict Cumberbatch).

For superhero fans, ITVX is streaming Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. Over on Sky Cinema, you can find Hannibal and True Romance. Netflix offers the historical drama Mank and the suspenseful thriller The Woman in the Window.

Darkest Hour is streaming on BBC iPlayer and Prime Video.

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2026-05-18 14:21