HBO Max audiences are answering the call of duty and flocking to the streamer to tune in for The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Explosive doesn’t even begin to describe the heaping, overflowing amount of action in the Henry Cavill-led production that largely fictionalizes the real-life Operation Postmaster that Winston Churchill directed during WWII. According to FlixPatrol, the film is clocking in on the platform’s globally sought-after Top 10 list in more than a dozen countries including Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, and Serbia, taking the front-running spot in many of them and turning up the heat on other potential challengers. With an ensemble cast that includes favorites such as Alan Ritchson (Reacher) and Eiza González (Fountain of Youth), paired with the high-octane storyline, it’s easy to understand why the Guy Ritchie-helmed war flick is such a hit.
First arriving in the U.S. in April 2024, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare was Ritchie’s latest foray into loud and in-your-face stories about war. The year is 1941 and the UK is at an impasse in the Second World War, as Hitler and his army of Nazis continue to spread their hate across Europe. With no other working plans, UK leaders made the decision to carry out the so-called Operation Postmaster, a black-ops mission that will see some of their savviest soldiers put it all on the line to prevent the Nazis from causing further and more widespread damage.
As one could imagine, the movie is filled with actors appearing as real — albeit dramatized — historical figures. Filling out the ensemble cast alongside Cavill, Ritchson, and González is a lineup that includes Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four), Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride), Babs Olusanmokun (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians), Hero Fiennes Tiffin (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), and Rory Kinnear (The Diplomat).
‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’s Box Office Bust
One would think that when you combine two of the most popular action stars in recent years and blend them with a movie helmed by Ritchie that’s based on a true story about punching Nazis in the face, it would be a sure-fire hit at the box office. Well, in the case of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, you’d need to think again. Unfortunately, the film wasn’t the kind of smash the studio was hoping for at the box office, where it only gained $29.7 million against its $60 million budget. Likewise, on Rotten Tomatoes, critics largely looked down on the wartime production, giving it a 68% approval rating. On the contrary, audiences who did turn up to the cinema to watch the action unfold on the big screen largely had nothing but positive things to say about the film, leaving it with an impressive 91% on the online ratings platform.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is now streaming on HBO Max in select countries, and in the U.S. on Starz.