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Golda

Golda

Israel, 1973... One woman stood between victory and defeat.

2023100 minPG-13Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Director
Guy Nattiv
Starring
Helen Mirren, Camille Cottin, Liev Schreiber, Lior Ashkenazi

Set during the tense 19 days of the Yom Kippur War in 1973, Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir is faced with the potential of Israel’s complete destruction. She must navigate overwhelming odds, a skeptical cabinet and a complex relationship with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, with millions of lives in the balance. Her tough leadership and compassion would ultimately decide the fate of her nation and leave her with a controversial legacy around the world.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Golda?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Golda streaming on Netflix and Pluto TV (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Free

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Golda?

Golda earns 7 badges, led by Cult Classic and Standout acting.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Golda worth watching?

Golda's Midcredits score is the 40th percentile of all films, from 36K ratings across 6 sources. 43% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

40th percentile

Better received than 40% of films

15th percentile among Biography41st percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)38th
Approval (how many liked it)42nd

58 /100

38th percentile of all films

14th percentile among Biography40th percentile among 2020s

Critics 48 · Audience 59

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Ratings scatter across the whole scale — one of the most divisive reactions in the catalog.

43% liked it

42nd percentile of all films

17th percentile among Biography44th percentile among 2020s
43% rated it 7–1057% rated it 1–6

Critics 54% · Audience 89%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 10 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling

Reach

How many have seen it

91st percentile

36K ratings across platforms

80th percentile among Biography92nd percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 16% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$1.7M
Domestic gross$4.8M
Worldwide gross$7.7M

64th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a narrow, claustrophobic character study of Golda Meir during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, driven almost entirely by Helen Mirren's performance.

Fans praised

  • Mirren's transformative embodiment of Meir's voice, posture, and mannerisms
  • intimate focus on Meir's psychological burden during the 19-day crisis
  • effective use of radio transmissions and sound design to convey war's horror without battlefield spectacle

Detractors panned

  • narrow scope omits Meir's backstory, achievements, and political journey
  • tedious overemphasis on chain-smoking as a character trait
  • direction prioritizes artsy gimmicks over coherent storytelling

What stands out

ActingDivisive85

Mirren's pitch-perfect physical and vocal transformation; supporting cast uneven, with Schreiber noted as effective but Dayan portrayal criticized as weak

AtmosphereDivisive65

claustrophobic war-room tension and sense of existential threat effectively captured

CinematographyDivisive60

moody, atmospheric shots and surreal smoke imagery praised by fans; detractors call visuals gimmicky and drab

Emotional impactDivisive55

moving for fans who connect with Meir's anguish; detractors find it manipulative or inert

DialogueDivisive55

crisp, direct Israeli-style exchanges; Kissinger-Meir phone calls praised as highlights

Plot and storyDivisive40

linear day-by-day war chronology without broader context; historical inaccuracies noted by detractors

PacingDivisive40

businesslike runtime but felt tedious with repetitive smoke-and-stare scenes

Characters35

Meir reduced to chain-smoking, cancer-stricken war manager; no backstory or inner life beyond crisis mode

Preferred by

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 16 points higher than under-30s.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 31 points higher than users.

US vs non-US

Preferred by US Viewers

US viewers scored it 12 points higher than non-US viewers.

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

  • Women vs men 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Golda like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Harrowing: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for a hard story that does not look away.

It is intense and leaves you thinking. 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

Harrowing.

Moods
DreadTenseMelancholic
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents the burden of leadership during war with a solemn, brooding sincerity, focusing on the psychological weight of decisions.
The rideA sustained atmosphere of national crisis and impossible decisions; dread and tension are constant, with melancholy settling over the toll.
StructureThe story of the Yom Kippur War is framed by Golda's testimony before the Agranat Commission after the war.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves viewers with the heavy moral weight of wartime decisions and the haunting cost of leadership.
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).MonsterInvasion
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% (this title) · 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%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · 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%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Invasion: An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe film centers on Golda Meir's leadership during the Yom Kippur War, a surprise invasion of Israel, and her decisions under siege.

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 filmsSelfPower
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% (this title): Power 2% (this title) · 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% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: 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%

Power

Power · 2% of filmsDuty · 2% of filmsSurvival
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the crushing weight of political and military power, and the terrible choices it demands of a leader.
StanceThe film observes the burden of leadership and the cost of war without overtly celebrating or condemning, centering on Meir alone.

The world

Late 20th centuryInstitutionalUrbanRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Dascha Dauenhauer
SettingIsrael during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, largely in Golda Meir's office and war rooms
MusicA subtle, tense score that amplifies the pressure without overwhelming the drama.

Content guide

Is Golda okay for kids?

PG-13

Golda is rated PG-13.

Ratings in 14 other countries
  • UK12A
  • Canada14A
  • AustraliaPG
  • Germany12
  • Ireland12A
  • New ZealandPG
  • Czechia12+
  • IsraelAll
  • MexicoB
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway12
  • PRPG-13
  • Spain12
  • Sweden11

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Golda have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Golda?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Helen Mirren
as Golda Meir
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.
Camille Cottin
as Lou Kaddar
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Liev Schreiber
as Henry Kissinger
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.
Lior Ashkenazi
as David 'Dado' Elazar
Rami Heuberger
as Moshe Dayan
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Rotem Keinan
as Zvi Zamir
Dvir Benedek
as Eli Zeira
Ellie Piercy
as Shir Shapiro
Henry Goodman
as Chairman Agranat
Ed Stoppard
as Benny Peled

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Golda?

Movies like Golda include Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House (2017), Beirut (2018) and Emergency (2025). Of the 12 closest matches, most are political thrillers, and several are war films.

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

5 of these 12 share its world: political. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

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

560 other films share the rarest tag below, follows: politician. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.