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Dunkirk

Dunkirk

1958135 minApprovedMidcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Director
Leslie Norman
Starring
John Mills, Richard Attenborough, Bernard Lee, Robert Urquhart

A British Corporal in France finds himself responsible for the lives of his men when their officer is killed. He has to get them back to Britain somehow. Meanwhile, British civilians are being dragged into the war with Operation Dynamo, the scheme to get the French and British forces back from the Dunkirk beaches. Some come forward to help, others were less willing.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Dunkirk?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Dunkirk streaming on BFI Player 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 4 badges, led by Top 10% in Action and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Dunkirk worth watching?

Dunkirk's Midcredits score is the 85th percentile of all films, from 6.8K ratings across 4 sources. 76% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

85th percentile

Better received than 85% of films

92nd percentile among Action84th percentile among 1950s
Acclaim (how much people like it)80th
Approval (how many liked it)86th

70 /100

80th percentile of all films

90th percentile among Action83rd percentile among 1950s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.2 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

76% liked it

86th percentile of all films

90th percentile among Action85th percentile among 1950s
76% rated it 7–1024% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

64th percentile

6.8K ratings across platforms

49th percentile among Action73rd percentile among 1950s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 18% in 30 days

Box office

Budget£400K

In British pound, not converted to dollars.

Worldwide gross$222

1st percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a straightforward, earnest reconstruction of the Dunkirk evacuation with a focus on ordinary soldiers and civilian volunteers, lacking modern spectacle.

Fans praised

  • historically accurate and detailed portrayal of Dunkirk
  • strong ensemble cast including John Mills, Richard Attenborough, Bernard Lee
  • avoids jingoism and sentimentality, shows war's futility and human courage

Detractors panned

  • stiff, amateurish acting and uninspired dialogue
  • dry, newsreel-like with little dramatic tension or emotional engagement
  • dated special effects and obvious studio tank scenes

What stands out

ActingDivisive68

solid but uneven; Mills and Attenborough praised, some supporting roles criticized as over-acting

AtmosphereDivisive65

captures period mood and grim reality of the beach

CharactersDivisive62

Tubby Binns's reluctant leadership arc and Holden's coward-to-hero change noted

Plot and storyDivisive60

dual narrative of soldiers and civilians, but slow and expository at times

Emotional impactDivisive60

moving without being sentimental; collective moan after bombing cited

CinematographyDivisive60

wide beach shots impressive; some interior studio work looks phony

Effects and spectacleDivisive55

miniatures and real soldiers used; explosions dated but still effective

PacingDivisive45

dragged by civilian subplot and repetitive beach bombings

Preferred by

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

  • Critics vs users 7 points apart
  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is Dunkirk like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and 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

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDreadHopeful
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of films
Told as
Hyperlink · 1% of films: Separate storylines that intersect by coincidence.
ToneThe film treats its subject with reverent restraint, focusing on the human cost without melodrama or flag-waving.
The rideThe synopsis and content notes point to sustained tension and danger from enemy fire and drowning, with hope emerging from the evacuation effort, so the emotional pressure is constant.
StructureThe story cuts between the soldiers' struggle in France and the civilians' preparations in England, converging on the beach at Dunkirk.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

HopefulBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you with a sense of quiet pride in the collective rescue effort, tempered by the human cost 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 archetypeThe film follows the British soldiers' retreat to the beaches and the civilian boat owners who cross the Channel to rescue them, centering on the mission to save the trapped army.

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% · 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% (this title) · 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 filmsCommunity · 14% of films: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe central focus is the physical survival of trapped soldiers under constant threat, interwoven with themes of duty to one's men and the collective civilian effort to bring them home.
StanceThe film treats the survival of the army and the civilian rescue as a collective triumph of perseverance and cooperation, affirming the value of duty and community in the face of overwhelming odds.

The world

Mid 20th centuryRuralWildernessIn transitRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Malcolm Arnold
Settingthe beaches and surrounding countryside of Dunkirk, France, and the English Channel during the 1940 evacuation
MusicA stirring orchestral score typical of British war films of the era, supporting the heroic and tense atmosphere.

Content guide

Is Dunkirk okay for kids?

Approved

Dunkirk is rated Approved. As of March 15, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (47/100), sexual content at minimal (0/100), language at minimal (7/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at moderate (39/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 6 other countries
  • UKPG
  • Germany12
  • FranceU
  • IrelandPG
  • Brazile 10
  • Portugale 10
Overall
Mild · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Moderate
too few votes to rank (5 votes)
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (7 votes)
Profanity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (5 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (5 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
too few votes to rank (6 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (28 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 Dunkirk have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Dunkirk?

Cast

3 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

John Mills
as Corporal 'Tubby' Binns
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Richard Attenborough
as John Holden
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Bernard Lee
as Charles Foreman
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Robert Urquhart
as Private Mike Russell
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ray Jackson
as Private Barlow
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Ronald Hines
as Private Miles
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Sean Barrett
as Frankie
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Roland Curram
as Private Harper
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Meredith Edwards
as Private Dave Bellman
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Michael Bates
as Airman Froome
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Dunkirk?

Movies like Dunkirk include A Bridge Too Far (1977), Dunkirk (2017) and Battleground (1949). Of the 12 closest matches, most are films set during World War II, and most are films about duty.

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 Dunkirk?

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