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War Horse

War Horse

Separated by war. Tested by battle. Bound by friendship.

2011146 minPG-13Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan, Emily Watson, Niels Arestrup

On the brink of the First World War, Albert's beloved horse Joey is sold to the Cavalry by his father. Against the backdrop of the Great War, Joey begins an odyssey full of danger, joy, and sorrow, and he transforms everyone he meets along the way. Meanwhile, Albert, unable to forget his equine friend, searches the battlefields of France to find Joey and bring him home.

Where to watch

Where can I watch War Horse?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists War Horse to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about War Horse?

War Horse earns 9 badges, led by Top 10% in Adventure and Word-of-mouth hit.

Show 1 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is War Horse worth watching?

War Horse's Midcredits score is the 86th percentile of all films, from 340K ratings across 6 sources. 76% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

86th percentile

Better received than 86% of films

90th percentile among Adventure86th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)82nd
Approval (how many liked it)86th

71 /100

82nd percentile of all films

89th percentile among Adventure81st percentile among 2010s

Critics 72 · Audience 71

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.3 — solid but not unanimous.

76% liked it

86th percentile of all films

89th percentile among Adventure87th percentile among 2010s
76% rated it 7–1024% rated it 1–6

Critics 74% · Audience 74%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 6 Oscar noms · 14 wins / 73 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Art Direction
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Cinematography

98th percentile

340K ratings across platforms

96th percentile among Adventure98th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 32% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$66M
Opening weekend$7.5M
Domestic gross$80M
Worldwide gross$178M

Returned 2.7× its budget — 92nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A beautifully crafted, old-fashioned epic about a boy and his horse set against the horrors of World War I, but its unabashed sentimentality either works as powerful emotional storytelling or feels like calculated manipulation.

Fans praised

  • stunning cinematography by Janusz Kamiński capturing both pastoral beauty and battlefield horror
  • John Williams' sweeping, emotional score elevates every scene
  • the horse Joey is an extraordinary, expressive performer who carries the film

Detractors panned

  • cloying sentimentality and obvious emotional manipulation
  • underdeveloped human characters shuffled through a disjointed episodic structure
  • over-reliance on coincidences and contrived plot devices

What stands out

CinematographyDivisive87

lush landscapes, painterly battlefields, golden-hour homage to John Ford

Sound and musicDivisive82

John Williams' rousing, melancholic score is a constant emotional driver

ActingDivisive72

solid British ensemble including Emily Watson, Peter Mullan, Tom Hiddleston; Jeremy Irvine earnest but occasionally stiff

Emotional impactDivisive58

polarizing: fans find it deeply moving, detractors call it manipulative and hollow

Plot and storyDivisive48

boy-loses-horse epic built on improbable coincidences and episodic structure

PacingDivisive48

slow first hour on the farm, picks up once war begins, but feels overlong at 146 minutes

CharactersDivisive42

thinly sketched humans serving as vignette owners; horse Joey is the only fully realized character

Originality35

derivative of Black Beauty, Lassie, and classic war films; formulaic animal-adventure arc

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men 8 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 9 points apart
  • Critics vs users 8 points apart
  • US vs non-US 7 points apart

Watch experience

What is War Horse like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and uplifting: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be moved and come out lifted.

It leaves you hopeful. 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

Moving and uplifting.

Moods
TenseHopeful
Heaviest: middle
Register
Sentimental · 8% of filmsSolemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneSpielberg plays the story with sincere earnestness, treating the bond between boy and horse and the horrors of war with heartfelt gravity.
The rideThe film moves between idyllic countryside warmth and harrowing war sequences, with the middle stretch containing the most intense battles and losses.
StructureThe film unfolds chronologically from Albert's youth in Devon, through Joey's wartime odyssey, to their reunion after the armistice.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a warm, bittersweet sense of reunion and resilience after the horrors of war.
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

Why this archetypeAlbert's determined search for his horse Joey across the battlefields of World War I drives the story, making it a rescue quest framed by his coming of age through war.

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 filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • 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% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% (this title) · 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%

Bonds

Family bondsLoyalty · 4% of filmsWar · 1% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the unbreakable bond between a boy and his horse, and how family love, loyalty, and the horrors of war test and ultimately reaffirm those ties.
StanceThe film celebrates the enduring bond between Albert and Joey, using the war as a crucible that tests and ultimately reaffirms that love and loyalty.

The world

Early 20th centuryRuralWildernessInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalForeground music · original score · John Williams
SettingDevon, England and the battlefields of France during World War I
MusicJohn Williams's sweeping, folk-infused score underscores the epic journey and emotional reunions.

Content guide

Is War Horse okay for kids?

PG-13

War Horse is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of war violence” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (62/100), sexual content at minimal (2/100), language at mild (28/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (34/100) and frightening material at intense (66/100). Overall it is heavier than 70% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 21 other countries
  • UK12A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceU
  • Ireland12A
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil12
  • Belgium18
  • Czechia12
  • Denmark11
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceΚ
  • Hungary18
  • ItalyT
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway12
  • Poland12
  • PortugalM/12
  • Spain7
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 44% of all filmsHeavier than 70% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 77%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 1%
Profanity
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 16%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 63%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 85%

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 War Horse have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in War Horse?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Jeremy Irvine
as Albert Narracott
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Peter Mullan
as Ted Narracott
Emily Watson
as Rose Narracott
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.
Niels Arestrup
as Grandfather
David Thewlis
as Lyons
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Tom Hiddleston
as Capt. Nicholls
Benedict Cumberbatch
as Maj. Jamie Stewart
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Celine Buckens
as Emilie
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Toby Kebbell
as Geordie Soldier
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Patrick Kennedy
as Lt. Charlie Waverly

Crew

Directed by

Steven Spielberg

More like this

What are movies like War Horse?

Movies like War Horse include Saving Private Ryan (1998), Passchendaele (2008) and 55 Days at Peking (1963). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films set during World War I, and half are rescue stories.

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

11 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 War Horse?

813 other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: animal companion. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.