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Six Minutes to Midnight

Six Minutes to Midnight

Britain 1939. Hitler's grip is tightening. No-one can be trusted.

202099 minPG-13Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Director
Andy Goddard
Starring
Eddie Izzard, Carla Juri, James D'Arcy, Celyn Jones

Summer 1939. Influential families in Nazi Germany have sent their daughters to a finishing school in an English seaside town to learn the language and be ambassadors for a future looking National Socialist. A teacher there sees what is coming and is trying to raise the alarm. But the authorities believe he is the problem.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Six Minutes to Midnight?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Six Minutes to Midnight streaming on Acorn TV via Prime Video, AMC+ and Sundance Now via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Six Minutes to Midnight?

Six Minutes to Midnight earns 2 badges, led by Award Winner and Broadly Agreed.

  • Reception
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Six Minutes to Midnight worth watching?

Six Minutes to Midnight's Midcredits score is the 35th percentile of all films, from 11K ratings across 6 sources. 37% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

35th percentile

Better received than 35% of films

31st percentile among Drama37th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)38th
Approval (how many liked it)33rd

58 /100

38th percentile of all films

35th percentile among Drama40th percentile among 2020s

Critics 48 · Audience 59

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.0 — solid but not unanimous.

37% liked it

33rd percentile of all films

29th percentile among Drama35th percentile among 2020s
37% rated it 7–1063% rated it 1–6

Critics 36% · Audience 46%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 2 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

87th percentile

11K ratings across platforms

89th percentile among Drama88th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 6% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$51K
Domestic gross$133K
Worldwide gross$2.9M

73rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a handsome-looking, old-fashioned WWII spy drama with a fascinating historical premise but a middling execution that leans on genre conventions.

Fans praised

  • Judi Dench's commanding performance as the headmistress
  • Effective atmosphere and period detail of pre-war England
  • Marc Streitenfeld's music score and Chris Seager's cinematography

Detractors panned

  • Eddie Izzard miscast as a dramatic lead, unconvincing as a spy
  • Weak script with predictable spy clichés and implausible plot turns
  • Slow pacing and lack of genuine tension

What stands out

Cinematography70

Handsomely shot with lovely period visuals and scenic coastal landscapes, but some note inauthentic Welsh locations

ActingDivisive65

Judi Dench praised as superb; Eddie Izzard divisive — some find him solid, many detractors call him wooden and miscast

AtmosphereDivisive65

Immersive pre-war English setting with period costumes and production design, but tone shifts undermine it

OriginalityDivisive55

Interesting historical premise (real Augusta Victoria College) but derivative 39 Steps-style execution

PacingDivisive40

Slow first half, some fans enjoy the measured build-up, detractors find it boring and languid

Characters40

Thin character writing, underdeveloped motivations, especially for Dench and D'Arcy roles

Plot and storyDivisive35

Predictable spy story with implausible chases, logical holes, and a premise that feels inconsequential

TensionDivisive35

Lack of sustained suspense; predictable twists fail to generate thrills

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 8 points apart
  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is Six Minutes to Midnight like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you can only half-watch.

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

What it asks of you

Your full attention.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseMelancholicHopeful
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its espionage and wartime setting with grave seriousness, never undercutting the tension with irony.
The rideThe film maintains a persistent tension of pursuit and hidden loyalties, with the emotional peak on the cliffside rescue and farewell.
StructureThe story unfolds in a linear three-act structure following Miller's undercover mission and subsequent chase.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe rescue provides relief, but the declaration of war casts the future in shadow, leaving a bittersweet yet hopeful note.
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).QuestRescue
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% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% (this title) · 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%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Rescue: Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).

10% of films fit this archetype

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

Why this archetypeThe story follows an undercover British agent on a mission to protect Nazi elite daughters and retrieve intelligence, culminating in a rescue from execution.

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 filmsSelfDutyMorality
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% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% (this title) · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% (this title) · Betrayal 5% (this title) · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · 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%

Morality

Duty · 2% of filmsSacrifice · 4% of filmsBetrayal · 5% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the weight of duty as agents and civilians risk everything to thwart Nazi plans, while betrayal lurks among those thought to be allies.
StanceThe film interrogates duty and sacrifice in a time of war, showing how individuals navigate moral choices under oppressive regimes.

The world

Early 20th centuryInstitutionalRuralRealistic
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score · Marc Streitenfeld
SettingA finishing school for Nazi elite daughters on the English coast just before WWII
MusicThe score underscores the tension of the espionage plot with a blend of orchestral and ambient textures.

Content guide

Is Six Minutes to Midnight okay for kids?

PG-13

Six Minutes to Midnight is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for some violence” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (28/100), sexual content at minimal (0/100), language at mild (24/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (27/100) and frightening material at mild (27/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 11 other countries
  • UK12
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • New ZealandM
  • Brazil14
  • Poland12
  • Russia16+
  • Spain12
  • Switzerland16
  • Taiwan保護級
Overall
Mild · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Mild
too few votes to rank (6 votes)
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (7 votes)
Profanity
Mild
too few votes to rank (7 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (5 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (5 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (30 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

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 Six Minutes to Midnight have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Six Minutes to Midnight?

Cast

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

Eddie Izzard
as Thomas Miller
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Carla Juri
as Ilse Keller
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
James D'Arcy
as Captain Drey
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Celyn Jones
as Corporal Willis
David Schofield
as Colonel Smith
Jim Broadbent
as Charlie
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.
Judi Dench
as Miss Rocholl
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.
Maria Dragus
as Astrid
Tijan Marei
as Gretel
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Franziska Brandmeier
as Beatrix
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Six Minutes to Midnight?

Movies like Six Minutes to Midnight include The Coldest Game (2019), Red Joan (2018) and Agent Vinod (2012). Of the 12 closest matches, half are period dramas, and most are stories about unlikely alliances.

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

11 of these 12 share its world: espionage. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Six Minutes to Midnight?

243 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: spy. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.