War for the Planet of the Apes
A grieving ape leader crosses a devastated winter landscape to confront the human commander whose war threatens both species.
Overview
In a world where survival is a brutal struggle, the fate of both apes and humans hangs in the balance.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- grim
- foreboding
- melancholic
- serious sci-fi night
- franchise marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Matt Reeves’s direction, Andy Serkis’s performance, visual effects, cinematography, score, and morally complex conclusion to the rebooted trilogy.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Caesar pursues the Colonel after devastating losses while wrestling with violent impulses and the responsibility of protecting his people.
Andy Serkis’s Caesar and the ape ensemble carry the film’s emotional and dramatic weight through performance-capture effects.
The ape community travels through snowy wilderness and encounters human military forces amid a dystopian planetary aftermath.
The conflict between Caesar and the Colonel is staged as an epic battle while emphasizing trauma, solidarity, peace, and the cost of retaliation.
Films like War for the Planet of the Apes, and why
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
shared post-apocalyptic science fiction, morally complex conflict, survival stakes, and emotionally grave blockbuster scale
Children of Men
shared dystopian science fiction, persecuted nonhuman protagonists, political violence, and themes of coexistence
The Revenant
shared epic war drama, wilderness survival, revenge impulses, and visually imposing production design
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
shared tragic leadership dilemma, rebellion against oppressive forces, and serious allegorical science fiction
Movie Details
- Director
- Matt Reeves
- Release Date
- 2017-07-11
- Runtime
- 140 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (9985)
Cast
- Andy Serkis
- Woody Harrelson
- Karin Konoval
- Terry Notary
- Steve Zahn
- Amiah Miller
- Ty Olsson
- Michael Adamthwaite
- Toby Kebbell
- Gabriel Chavarria
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is War for the Planet of the Apes about?
- A grieving ape leader crosses a devastated winter landscape to confront the human commander whose war threatens both species.
- What is War for the Planet of the Apes like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of War for the Planet of the Apes as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is War for the Planet of the Apes violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in War for the Planet of the Apes as brutal.
- What did critics think of War for the Planet of the Apes?
- Critics broadly praised Matt Reeves’s direction, Andy Serkis’s performance, visual effects, cinematography, score, and morally complex conclusion to the rebooted trilogy.
- Which films are like War for the Planet of the Apes?
- Films with a similar feel include Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Children of Men, The Revenant, and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
- How long is War for the Planet of the Apes?
- War for the Planet of the Apes runs 140 minutes.
- Where can I watch War for the Planet of the Apes?
- In United States, War for the Planet of the Apes streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel.
In Ember's collections
Movies like War for the Planet of the Apes
- Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes2024
- The One and Only Ivan2020
- King Kong2005
- Planet of the Apes1968
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 22015
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes2011
- Beneath the Planet of the Apes1970
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 12014
- Escape from the Planet of the Apes1971
- Avatar: Fire and Ash2025
