Overview
A desperate soldier dons a stolen uniform, discovering the power of illusion amidst chaos.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- chilling
- morbidly amusing
- brutal
- serious film night
- historical cinema viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a chilling, generally favorable examination of authoritarian power and the persistence of human cruelty.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The black-and-white cinematography renders uniforms, executions, and devastated landscapes with a harsh documentary-like severity.
Herold's stolen captain's uniform transforms an ordinary deserter into a figure whom soldiers and civilians obey.
The film combines brutal acts with grimly absurd behavior among soldiers operating inside the collapsing Nazi regime.
Herold's impersonation gains force as military personnel process, authorize, and participate in escalating atrocities.
Films like The Captain, and why
Downfall
shared World War II setting, moral extremity, and bleak examination of authoritarian violence
Come and See
shared antiwar drama, institutional brutality, and morally corrosive military hierarchy
Jojo Rabbit
shared black comedy, fascist subject matter, and grotesque critique of ideological power
The Counterfeiters
shared impersonation premise, wartime deception, and tense historical drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Robert Schwentke
- Release Date
- 2018-02-02
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (528)
Cast
- Max Hubacher
- Milan Peschel
- Frederick Lau
- Alexander Fehling
- Britta Hammelstein
- Waldemar Kobus
- Sebastian Rudolph
- Marko Dyrlich
- Alexander Hörbe
- Sascha Alexander Geršak
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Brew, OVID, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Brew, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, MovieMe
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Brew, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Captain about?
- A starving deserter weaponizes a stolen Nazi uniform, revealing how quickly obedience can turn impersonation into organized terror.
- What is The Captain like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Captain as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Captain violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Captain as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Captain?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a chilling, generally favorable examination of authoritarian power and the persistence of human cruelty.
- Which films are like The Captain?
- Films with a similar feel include Downfall, Come and See, Jojo Rabbit, and The Counterfeiters.
- How long is The Captain?
- The Captain runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Captain?
- In United States, The Captain streams on Amazon Prime Video, Brew, OVID, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
