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Prisoners of War

Prisoners of War

2009–2012Ended2 seasons24 episodes~50 min/epNot RatedMidcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

After 17 years in captivity, Israeli soldiers Nimrode Klein, Uri Zach, and Amiel Ben Horin return home to the country that made them national icons. They work to overcome the trauma of torture and captivity while settling back into their interrupted family lives. Meanwhile, the military psychiatrist assigned to them finds discrepancies in the soldiers' testimonies, and launches an investigation to discover what they are hiding.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Prisoners of War?

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

Rent / Buy

Buy

Highlights

What stands out about Prisoners of War?

Prisoners of War earns 6 badges, led by Universally Loved and Standout acting.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Prisoners of War worth watching?

Prisoners of War's Midcredits score is the 88th percentile of all shows, from 3K ratings across 2 sources. 87% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

88th percentile

Better received than 88% of shows

89th percentile among Drama83rd percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)84th
Approval (how many liked it)88th

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

79 /100

84th percentile of all shows

86th percentile among Drama79th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

Approval

How many liked it

87% liked it

88th percentile of all shows

88th percentile among Drama84th percentile among 2000s
87% rated it 7–1013% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

62nd percentile

3K ratings across platforms

54th percentile among Drama55th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 22 days to Oct 26Up 5% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The series is a slow-burn psychological drama centered on the return of POWs, with strong performances and a compelling premise, but it suffers from pacing issues and a low budget that affects its production quality.

Fans praised

  • superior to the US remake, with more emotional depth and realism
  • nuanced character study and psychological thriller pacing
  • strong ensemble acting and authentic dialogue

Detractors panned

  • excessively slow pacing, especially in season 1
  • amateurish cinematography and low-budget production values
  • contrived plot elements and unsatisfying ending

What stands out

Acting85

consistently praised as superb, authentic, and emotionally nuanced

CharactersDivisive85

deep, three-dimensional, and well-developed

Emotional impact85

moving, poignant, and powerful, but some find it melodramatic

Dialogue75

relevant, engaging, and naturalistic

Plot and storyDivisive70

engaging and gripping, but with contrived twists and an unsatisfying resolution

Atmosphere70

gripping, immersive, and gritty with a documentary feel

CinematographyDivisive45

amateurish and low-budget, but some see it as adding documentary realism

Pacing35

polarizing: many fans appreciate the slow burn, but critics and some fans find it too slow and repetitive

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men 8 points apart
  • US vs non-US 7 points apart

Watch experience

What is Prisoners of War like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — a slow-burn watch that leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseMelancholicContemplative
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Bleak · 3% of showsCold and cerebral · 6% of shows: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Nonlinear · 5% of shows: Events shown out of chronological order.Multiple perspectives · 2% of shows: The same events retold from different characters' points of view.SerializedNew arc each season
ToneThe series plays its material entirely straight, treating the soldiers' trauma and the investigation with solemn gravity and psychological realism, never winking or undercutting the drama.
The rideThe mood is sustained tension throughout the first season, becoming more thriller-like in the second, but always anchored in melancholy and quiet contemplation; the heaviest emotional weight builds toward the series' conclusion.
StructureThe story unfolds in a mostly linear three-act structure, but uses flashbacks to captivity and shifts between the perspectives of the three soldiers and their families.
Episode formatThe series tells one continuous story across its 24 episodes, with each episode advancing the central arc of the returnees' reintegration and the unfolding investigation.
Season formatSeason 1 focuses on the psychological and domestic re-adjustment of the returnees, while Season 2 shifts into a faster-paced thriller with increased action and larger conspiracy elements.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Thought-provokingHaunting · 9% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves a lingering, haunting discomfort about the lasting psychological damage of war and the moral compromises survivors make, sparking questions about loyalty, truth and national myth-making.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).RebirthHealing
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7% (this title): Redemption 1% · Healing 3% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

7% of shows fit this archetype

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

Why this archetypeThe series primarily follows the returning soldiers' attempts to heal from trauma and reintegrate into their old lives, fitting a rebirth/healing archetype. The broader series arc also incorporates an investigation (expose) into what they may be hiding and elements of a cover-up that leaves them wrongly accused of collaboration.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfTraumaSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% (this title) · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% (this title) · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9% (this title): Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% (this title) · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Survival

Trauma · 5% of showsIdentityFamily bonds
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series centres on the long-term psychological trauma of captivity and how it reshapes the returnees' sense of self and their relationships with family and country.
StanceThe series interrogates the long-term psychological cost of war and captivity, asking how the state and society treat returning soldiers and what hidden truths they carry, without offering easy judgement.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalAmbientSupportive music · original score · Amit Poznansky
SettingIsrael, post-2006
MusicThe score is understated and melancholic, supporting the tense and contemplative atmosphere.

Content guide

Is Prisoners of War okay for kids?

Not Rated

Prisoners of War is not rated.

Ratings in 10 other countries
  • Canada14+
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany18
  • France18
  • Brazil16
  • Netherlands16
  • PortugalT
  • Spain18
  • SwedenFrån 15 år
  • Türkiye18+

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Prisoners of War have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Prisoners of War?

Cast

Ishai Golan
as Uri Zach
Yoram Toledano
as Nimrod Klein
Yaël Abecassis
as Talia Klein
Mili Avital
as Nurit Halevi-Zach
Assi Cohen
as Amiel Ben-Horin
Adi Ezroni
as Yael Ben-Horin
Yael Eitan
as Dana Klein
Gal Zaid
as Dr. Chaim Cohen
Jonathan Uziel
as Yinon 'Noni' Meiri
Sendi Bar
as Iris

Crew

Directed by

Gideon Raff

Written by

Gideon Raff

Cinematography

Itai Ne'eman

Edited by

Simon Herman

Music by

Amit Poznansky

Produced by

Asaf NawiLiat Benasuly Amit

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