Weighted from an 8.3 average · Why?
Nolan's non-linear survival epic is among the finest war films in years.
Verdict tier Exceptional, critics broadly rave, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.
Not streaming in India
Critic consensus
Critical reception for Dunkirk is overwhelmingly positive, with most reviewers calling it among the best films of 2017 and a standout entry in Christopher Nolan's filmography. Critics most consistently praised Nolan's direction, particularly his non-linear storytelling, his apolitical focus on survival, and his ability to blend spectacle with character. The film's immersive quality led several reviewers to recommend large-format viewing experiences such as IMAX or 70mm. The only notable criticisms were a lone low score citing the absence of the enemy as a limitation, and one reviewer flagging Harry Styles' acting debut as underwhelming compared to the rest of the ensemble.
Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10
AI-generated summary of 10 critic reviews · may contain errors
Report inaccuracyFrom the papers
Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated
Top critic
Film review ·
Dunkirk is robust filmmaking, and sits nicely with Nolan's impressive body of work. It's a riveting, overwhelming piece of cinema, and another reminder of how skilfully he marries affecting character drama with sheer spectacle. It's one of the year's best films.
Top critic
Film review ·
Christopher Nolan is telling you about defeat, the blood, sweat and tears of it; how it settles into your bones, sets in your face, moves your clawing fingers, hardens your scared heart. The writer-director, who loves playing with time, again tells the story of that week in a non-linear sequence.
Top critic
Film review ·
The performances are all great, and it's nice to see both an ensemble cast of biggies and a host of newcomers one the verge of becoming big. Though Harry Styles' much hyped acting debut feels unnecessary and a better actor could have probably made that character more interesting.
Film review ·
Dunkirk is one of the greatest war movies ever made – it's certainly the tightest, most unwaveringly propulsive film of Christopher Nolan's career. But it's also as meditative as The Thin Red Line, as brutal as Saving Private Ryan, and sometimes, even as surreal as Apocalypse Now. It deserves to be seen big and loud.
Film review ·
This is an experience you cannot miss. When critics and the film fraternity all say that this is the best movie of 2017, they are not wrong.
Film review ·
Chris Nolan's films are also generally apolitical and the fact that he's managed to stay that way with Dunkirk, a World War II saga is spectacular. The underlying critique of war and focus on survival and hope is what makes this film so great. Dunkirk isn't just an old war epic, this is a certified movie watching experience that cannot be missed.
Film review ·
If nothing else, it is yet another landmark achievement by one of the most important and skilled storytellers in the present generation of filmmaking.
Film review ·
Dunkirk isn't a war film that is made with the objective to flatter viewers with its epicness. But Nolan has indeed been successful in making a different war movie that elicits not just fears, but thoughts as well.
Film review ·
This one surely is a masterpiece from master storyteller Christopher Nolan...
Film review ·
Like the rare dollop of jam, a nondescript man walking into the wild waves and a smiling lady from Dartmouth stood out and moved me with their profundity in ways I was expecting and still came out surprised.
Film review ·
...with the enemy not shown, Dunkirk is a cleverly made film that's worth watching in an IMAX or on a 70mm Projection.
From our readers
12 ratings · user score 7.4
Over the years, Hollywood has had some extraordinary directors such as Hitchcock, Spielberg, Lucas, Ridley Scott, Tarantino etc etc. But one person who has absolutely fascinated me with each of his films is Christopher Nolan. I became his fan with "Memento" & since then he has never ceased to surprise the audience with his craft. On the contrary, he kept setting the bar higher & higher. So when the trailer of his war thriller "Dunkirk" hit the screens just before Xmas, it created an unprecedented hype & anticipation. Is it indeed one of the greatest war movie ever made??? As the name suggests, it is about the evacuation of the British forces who were stranded on the beach of Dunkirk in France during WWII. The enemy (interestingly not even once, Germany is mentioned) was unleashing hell on the 400,000 soldiers who were virtually sitting ducks on the beach. The movie moves in a non linear pattern with three separate tracks, each of which focuses on land, water & air respectively. The first track happens over a week & is about a young British soldier Tommy (Fionn Whitehead) who had managed to reach the beach alive & was trying to find a vessel which would take him home. With the Royal Navy ships coming under heavy fire, they opt to command private boats for evacuation. Mr. Dawson (Mark Rylance) joins the mission but rather than wait for the Navy, he sets sail on his own with his son Peter (Tom Glynn) & his friend, George (Barry Keoghan). This track unfolds over a day while the third segment happens over an hour in the sky. The Royal Airforce spitfire fighters which included Farrier (Tom Hardy) tried to keep the airspace clear to provide a safe passage for the rescue boats. Apart from donning the director's hat, Nolan has penned this brilliant script as well. The beauty of the movie is that even though there are very few dialogues, the impact that is able to create on the audience is unbelievable. He has weaved all the three segments so well that even though there are difference in time duration, we dont feel it at all. All the technical aspects are brilliant & so realistic especially the aerial sequences that we actually feel we are on the fighter planes, kudos to Hoyte's breath taking visuals. Another major factor that elevated the viewing experience to a whole different level was Hans Zimmer's music which instills chills & goose bumps in equal measure. As far as performances are concerned, each & every actor has done utmost justice to their roles. Tom Hardy with his mask on reminded me of Bane from "The Dark Knight Rises" but that didnt handicap him as his expressions conveys the emotions effectively. The same applies to Kenneth Branagh as Commander Bolton, Mark Rylance & Tom Glynn as well. Verdict: It is undoubtedly one of the greatest war movies ever made which is more than reason enough not to miss this gem. Even without the gory scenes that is part & parcel of movies in this genre, it still manages to keep us on the edge of our seats. In short, just rush to your nearest theatre if you havent done it till now!!! Rating: 4.5/5 Regards...Ben
bear grills survival episode is better than this
I consider myself biased against War movies. Honestly I do not find them entertaining... you might say war movies depict reality but again who said war movies cannot be entertaining, take for example Inglorious Bastards just love that.. Ok. Enough about myself :-) coming back to the movie. It is a great movie with some kick ass moments you must not have experienced before. And this movie is not for the small screen, if you have to watch it, you have to do it on a big screen b'coz it does have the sound, visuals and VFX which the small screen cannot do justice to.
Dunkirk is unarguably one of the most technical sound films made so far, but at the same time the effect it has on you is limited. For starters, it requires its audience to have good knowledge of the infamous Dunkirk evacuation that happened towards the end of World War II, without which you cannot make complete sense of the plot. And even if you are well-versed with history, the degree of repetitive sequences, albeit beautifully crafted, is just too high to make it an epic war film. The score by Hans Zimmer is arguably the biggest character in Dunkirk, which manages to keep you hooked despite the aforementioned shortcomings. Director Christopher Nolan knows how important the score and camera work are for a film that tries to bring events happening in air, land, and sea together, which is one thing that works well for Dunkirk. There is tension throughout the 100 minutes of running time, thanks to Zimmer's ticktock tunes, and one that will make you unable to move. Performances are great since dialogue is scarce and subtle, but it still shows how talented Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, and Fionn Whitehead are. The use of numbing score and captivating shots is what hides the hollowness of the plot and what makes this an average watch at best. Director Nolan had set the bar quite too high with his past few films but Dunkirk seems to be missing the trademark. TN.
Christopher Nolan is so explorative, always keen of telling stories out of his comfort zone, he could well have been named Christopher Columbus. And thankfully, his explorative storytelling stretches it's distances towards his latest 'Dunkirk' as well- from the startling first scene where armies walk with papers coasting across an unsettling breeze, or the wonderstriking last scene where an army man looks upon a newspaper sheet, his face covered in dust- it's the most riveting set-pieces combination in recent times. But fine story-telling as it is, you cannot help but just notice the lack of cohesive, concrete and coherent screenplay, which falls flat towards the first half and merely sags around the second half. It's a well-made film that's thoroughly fun as it lasts, but "gems", as they say, need more than that. A dark knight maybe (😉). Still, watch 'Dunkirk' for experiencing a fine technical experience. You even may not notice it's flaws- I didn't, I found it faultlessly made, infact. It is a film as devastating as it is moving. From another lens though, you read those dialogue in your head, and just decide to not get settled or recommend it. 3/5.
Credits
Fionn WhiteheadTommy
Tom HardyFarrier
Mark RylanceCaptain of the Moonstone
Kenneth BranaghCommander Bolton of the Royal Navy
Cillian MurphyBEF Officer
Barry KeoghanGeorge
Harry StylesAlex
Aneurin BarnardGibson
Tom Glynn-CarneyOlder son of Moonstone captain
James D'ArcyLieutenant-Colonel Winnant, BEF
Christopher Nolan
Emma Thomas
Hans Zimmer
Hoyte van Hoytema
Lee SmithEnglish films like Dunkirk
Darkest Hour
2018
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
2016
12 Strong
2018
Oppenheimer
2023
Bridge of Spies
2015
Eye in the Sky
2016
Free State of Jones
2016
Zero Dark Thirty
2012
War Dogs
2016
Unbroken
2015
This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
