Darkest Hour demonstrates the immense courage Churchill had. It doesn't fully absolve and deify him, rather humanizes.

I don't want to undermine my admiration for Gary Oldman's performance, but I think the film itself is flawed.

In Darkest Hour, Wright's charged, blustery framework pulls the audience into a distant political landscape. But his approach here is also limiting and nearly wearying.

The film builds its mounting prospects of calamity and clashes of dissension with polish and gumption, avoiding many of the dull notes normally saddling most other behind-the-war-room yak-fests.