Plot SUMMARY

Rating: 8/10 (18 February 2019)

With only days until the Nazis wipe out the remaining allied forces in Dunkirk, Winston Churchill is elected as the prime minister following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain. In what seems to be a lost cause, Darkest Hour follows Churchill and his decision, between peace talks with the ruthless Hitler, or the controversial decision to fight to the death, risking hundreds of thousands of young mens lives and possibly the fall of Britain. Backed by a party that has virtually no support for him, Churchill must not only appease his party but also win over the support of the general public, a task especially challenging with the imminent German advance. The only clear path Churchill sees is war - Despite the looming refuge of peace talks.
As Dunkirk's time grows near, estimates are that it would be lucky to get even 10% of the 300 000 soldiers out alive. With the addition of this grim statistic, more and more party members are being allured by the promises of negotiations. With the fall of France just over the horizon, Neville Chamberlain and Lord Halifax beg Churchill to at least consider peace talks. Nevertheless, Churchill continues to push for a way to get the soldiers out, even if it means sacrificing the men situated at Calais. Amidst the chaos, Churchill puts forth operation Dynamo as a last resort, where civilian boats would be used to rescue the men stuck at Dunkirk.
Following the failure of the Calais plan, leading to thousands of unnecessary casualties, Churchill capitulates to the desperate peace talk negotiations. But before entering into talks with prime minister Mussolini, Churchill decides to take a trip on the underground, where support from average citizens once again renews Churchill's ardor to fight. Armed with a new fire, Churchill storms into Parliament to deliver his first speech, showing his indisposition to peace talks, stating that they must have "victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival."