Darkest Hour

Darkest Hour is a biographical drama directed by Joe Wright (Pan, Atonement). The film premiered at Telluride and screened at TIFF this year. Gary Oldman stars alongside Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane, Ronald Pickup, and Ben Mendelsohn.

As the threat of invasion of the UK by Hitler’s forces looms and 300,000 British soldiers cornered in Dunkirk, Churchill finds his own party plotting against him and King George VI skeptical that his new Prime Minister can rise to the challenge. He is confronted with the ultimate choice: negotiate a peace treaty with Nazi Germany and save the British people at a terrible cost or fight on against incredible odds. With the support of his wife of 31 years, Clemmie, Churchill looks to the British people to inspire him to stand firm and fight for his nation’s ideals, liberty, and freedom. Putting his power with words to the ultimate test, with the help of his tireless secretary, Winston must write and deliver speeches that will rally a nation. As Winston withstands his own darkest hour, he attempts to change the course of world history forever.

“I’ve always considered the Second World War to be the fulcrum of the 20th century,” says Wright. “It changed everything. If the audience today can engage with an icon of that time as a human being, then his qualities of leadership will be that much more inspiring.”

Darkest Hour is rated PG.