Munich: The Edge of War [2021]

Munich: The Edge of War

Even though the conclusion of Munich: The Edge of War is no secret, the sharp direction and some outstanding performances make it a gripping historical drama.


However, the movie isn’t flawless. The movie is a clear attempt to repair the reputation of pre-war PM Neville Chamberlain (Jeremy Irons). If you step back, Munich: The Edge of War is mainly a film about powerful yet inept people from privileged elites making a mess of things.

Clear intentions aside, the movie is very british when it comes to telling a pulse-pounding tale of espionage, ambition, and friendship. What makes this movie worth is it not the story, it’s the cast.

Everyone here clicks. Director Christian Schwochow draws out strong performances from all three of his main actors. Taking the role of a very unpopular prime minister is a challenge for anyone but Jeremy Irons used the tension against Ulrich Matthes‘ Hitler to keep me on the edge of my seat. Side note, Matthes made Hitler even scarier than he should. I loved his performance!

On the other hand. Relatively newcomers George MacKay & Jannis Niewöhner got to shine on their own. I just wish that Schowochow would have given them a bit more screentime and tweaked their scenes differently to give them more moving action & drama.

The result? A decent movie. It may not break much new ground in terms of war cinema, it’s an effectively told story that is sure to satisfy those with even a passing interest in the politics of war.

Munich: The Edge of War – Official Trailer
Should you watch it?

Regardless of what you think about the start of the Second World War, this movie gives you powerful performances. We get a to humanize the events before and up to the infamous Munich summit. Not the best WWII movie, but certainly worth watching.

Where can I watch it?

You can stream Munich: The Edge of War exclusively on Netflix.

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