Overview
A haunting portrayal of the horrors of war through the eyes of young soldiers.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- harrowing
- bleak
- oppressive
- serious film night
- historical cinema viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film’s overwhelming audiovisual craft, harrowing combat realism, and antiwar force, while some felt its political subplot simplified Remarque’s deeper psychological concerns.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Western Front is rendered through tanks, artillery, trenches, mud, and close bodily peril rather than heroic spectacle.
Paul and his friends enlist under nationalist enthusiasm, then confront the brutal collapse of their romantic assumptions.
The armistice-focused political plot intercuts with Paul’s frontline experience and emphasizes the distance between top brass and soldiers.
Infantrymen are repeatedly consumed by offensives, artillery, and tanks even as commanders pursue symbolic victory.
Films like All Quiet on the Western Front, and why
1917
shares immersive World War I trench warfare, graphic combat realism, and an antiwar perspective centered on infantrymen
Saving Private Ryan
shares harrowing battlefield violence, emotional camaraderie among soldiers, and a devastating antiwar humanism
Paths of Glory
shares historical war drama, moral disillusionment, and a bleak critique of military institutions
Stalingrad
shares German historical perspective, brutal period combat, and an intimate focus on young soldiers shaped by war
Movie Details
- Director
- Edward Berger
- Release Date
- 2022-10-07
- Runtime
- 147 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (4958)
Cast
- Felix Kammerer
- Albrecht Schuch
- Aaron Hilmer
- Moritz Klaus
- Adrian Grünewald
- Edin Hasanović
- Daniel Brühl
- Thibault de Montalembert
- Devid Striesow
- Andreas Döhler
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is All Quiet on the Western Front about?
- A young German recruit’s patriotic illusions dissolve into mud, machinery, and senseless slaughter on the Western Front.
- What is All Quiet on the Western Front like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of All Quiet on the Western Front as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is All Quiet on the Western Front violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in All Quiet on the Western Front as graphic.
- What did critics think of All Quiet on the Western Front?
- Critics broadly praised the film’s overwhelming audiovisual craft, harrowing combat realism, and antiwar force, while some felt its political subplot simplified Remarque’s deeper psychological concerns.
- Which films are like All Quiet on the Western Front?
- Films with a similar feel include 1917, Saving Private Ryan, Paths of Glory, and Stalingrad.
- How long is All Quiet on the Western Front?
- All Quiet on the Western Front runs 147 minutes.
- Where can I watch All Quiet on the Western Front?
- In United States, All Quiet on the Western Front streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
