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Dunkirk

Dunkirk

When 400,000 men couldn't get home, home came for them.

2017106 minPG-13Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Director
Christopher Nolan
Starring
Fionn Whitehead, Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh

The story of the miraculous evacuation of Allied soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and France, who were cut off and surrounded by the German army from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk between May 26th and June 4th 1940 during World War II.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Dunkirk?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Dunkirk streaming on Paramount+ via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Dunkirk?

Dunkirk earns 13 badges, led by Oscar Winner and Top 5% of films.

Show 5 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is Dunkirk worth watching?

Dunkirk's Midcredits score is the 97th percentile of all films, from 2.9M ratings across 6 sources. 85% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

97th percentile

Better received than 97% of films

98th percentile among Action97th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)95th
Approval (how many liked it)95th

78 /100

95th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Action95th percentile among 2010s

Critics 94 · Audience 77

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

85% liked it

95th percentile of all films

96th percentile among Action95th percentile among 2010s
85% rated it 7–1015% rated it 1–6

Critics 92% · Audience 81%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

2 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 19 wins / 80 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Film Editing
  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Sound Editing

99th percentile

2.9M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Action99th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 3% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$100M
Opening weekend$51M
Domestic gross$190M
Worldwide gross$550M

Returned 5.5× its budget — 97th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Dunkirk is a technically astonishing, non-character-driven sensory immersion into the desperate survival of the evacuation.

Fans praised

  • Immersive sensory experience with masterful practical effects and IMAX cinematography
  • Hans Zimmer's score as a propulsive, tension-building force that rivals the characters
  • Unconventional narrative treating the evacuation itself as the protagonist, not individuals

Detractors panned

  • Paper-thin characters with zero arcs, failing to generate emotional investment
  • Misleadingly small scale that doesn't convey the historical enormity of 338,000 men evacuated
  • Overwhelming, monotonous score that feels like noise rather than music

What stands out

Cinematography92

Breathtaking IMAX aerial shots, practical effects, gritty realism

AtmosphereDivisive90

Palpable fear, claustrophobia, and dread immerse viewer in the event

TensionDivisive88

Relentless suspense from the first frame; some find it monotonous

Sound and musicDivisive85

Zimmer's score is a character: relentless, tension-building; detractors call it noise

OriginalityDivisive80

Breaks war-film conventions by focusing on survival and event as protagonist

Acting72

Strong ensemble (Rylance, Branagh, Murphy, Whitehead, Styles) but mostly functional, not award-worthy

Emotional impactDivisive55

Divides audiences: fans feel raw survival horror, detractors feel cold detachment

CharactersDivisive30

Deliberately shallow characters as stand-ins for everyman soldiers, but fails for many viewers

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Dunkirk like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Big and sweeping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be swept up in something big.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you fired up. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Big and sweeping.

Moods
DreadTenseHopeful
Heaviest: late
Register
Epic · 2% of films: Vast in scale: big landscapes, big stakes, a long span.Cold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.
Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.Multiple perspectives · 2% of films: The same events retold from different characters' points of view.
ToneThe film plays the evacuation completely straight and immersive, stripping back dialogue and backstory to deliver a relentless, sensory experience of the event itself.
The rideSustained, almost unbearable tension throughout, with the heaviest emotional weight arriving during the final rescue sequences.
StructureThe film interweaves three perspectives — a week on the beach, a day at sea, an hour in the air — told out of chronological order so that the threads converge on the same moments.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Fired up.

Rousing · 10% of filmsHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayYou leave carrying the scale of the sacrifice and the quiet pride of the civilian rescue, sobered rather than triumphant.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Voyage
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4% (this title): Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% (this title) · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Voyage and return: Into a strange world and back again, changed. · Survival ordeal: Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).

4% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe film follows trapped Allied soldiers, civilian boatmen and RAF pilots all fighting to escape the German-encircled beach and get back across the Channel; each storyline is a struggle for survival against a closing enemy.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% (this title) · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% (this title) · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

SurvivalDuty · 2% of filmsSacrifice · 4% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film is centrally about staying alive under extreme threat, with duty and sacrifice as the ethical frame around that struggle.
StanceThe film presents the survival struggle of many individuals without moralising, letting the sheer pressure of the situation speak for itself.

The world

Mid 20th centuryWildernessIn transitRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicForeground music · original score · Hans Zimmer
SettingThe beaches and waters off Dunkirk, France, 1940, during the evacuation of Allied soldiers.
MusicZimmer's score uses a rising Shepard tone to create unceasing tension that mirrors the characters' desperation.

Content guide

Is Dunkirk okay for kids?

PG-13

Dunkirk is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for intense war experience and some language” (MPAA). As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (61/100), sexual content at minimal (4/100), language at moderate (52/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (24/100) and frightening material at severe (81/100). Overall it is heavier than 92% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 47 other countries
  • UK12A
  • CanadaPG
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland12A
  • New ZealandM
  • JapanG
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil14
  • AEPG-13
  • Argentina13
  • Austria14
  • Belgium16
  • CLTE
  • CO7
  • Czechia12
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceK-12
  • Hong KongIIA
  • Hungary16
  • ID13+
  • IndiaUA
  • Israelהותר לבני 14 ומעלה
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-13
  • MexicoB
  • MYP13
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway12
  • PhilippinesR-13
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/12
  • RO18
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporePG13
  • SK12
  • South Africa16
  • Spain12
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland12
  • TaiwanR-12
  • THG
  • Türkiye13+
  • UA12
  • VNC16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 60% of all filmsHeavier than 92% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 76%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 2%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 74%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 24%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 96%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material and violence. Everything else sits at or below what PG-13-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Dunkirk have?

MovieCove's classifier found 3 depicted content warnings in Dunkirk: Gun violence (severe), War atrocities (severe), plus 1 withheld here because it would spoil the plot. 1 more is mentioned only, in dialogue or backstory (behind the spoiler gate). Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereGun violenceWar atrocities

Mentioned: referenced in dialogue or backstory, not shown in the story’s present.

Cast and crew

Who is in Dunkirk?

Cast

3 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Fionn Whitehead
as Tommy
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Tom Hardy
as Farrier
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Mark Rylance
as Mr. Dawson
Kenneth Branagh
as Commander Bolton
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Cillian Murphy
as Shivering Soldier
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Barry Keoghan
as George
Harry Styles
as Alex
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Aneurin Barnard
as Gibson
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Damien Bonnard
as French Soldier
Lee Armstrong
as Grenadier
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Dunkirk?

Movies like Dunkirk include 1917 (2019), The Longest Day (1962) and The Great Raid (2005). Of the 12 closest matches, half are films set during World War II, and most are films about duty.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

9 of these 12 share its world: war epic. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Dunkirk?

813 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: war epic. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.