Overview
A gripping tale of sabotage and survival during one of history's darkest times.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- earnest
- melancholic
- historical film night
- world war ii double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Aksel Hennie’s performance, direction, technical craft, production values, and credible emotional warmth, while viewing the film as a gripping but conventional wartime biographical drama.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story follows real Norwegian saboteur Max Manus and his role in the resistance against Nazi occupation.
Sabotage missions are framed as contributions to Norway’s liberation while showing the personal price paid by Manus and his comrades.
The film uses high production values, escape sequences, bombs, trains, and sabotage operations to create a credible World War II setting.
Max Manus’s central battle extends beyond the resistance missions to overcoming the inner demons produced by wartime experience.
Films like Max Manus: Man of War, and why
Flame & Citron
Both depict European resistance fighters during World War II with a traditional, high-production-value historical-war style.
Army of Shadows
A fact-based World War II resistance drama centered on sabotage, moral pressure, and personal sacrifice.
Anthropoid
A grounded wartime action drama about resistance operations and the psychological costs of combat.
The Imitation Game
A biographical World War II drama combining military action with trauma and inner conflict.
Movie Details
- Directors
- Espen Sandberg, Joachim Rønning
- Release Date
- 2008-12-18
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (290)
Cast
- Aksel Hennie
- Agnes Kittelsen
- Nicolai Cleve Broch
- Christian Rubeck
- Julia Bache-Wiig
- Kyrre Haugen Sydness
- Eirik Evjen
- Knut Joner
- Jakob Oftebro
- Pål Sverre Hagen
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Viaplay Amazon 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 Max Manus: Man of War about?
- A driven Norwegian saboteur wages a covert war against Nazi occupation while struggling with the psychological wreckage of resistance.
- What is Max Manus: Man of War like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Max Manus: Man of War as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Max Manus: Man of War violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Max Manus: Man of War as moderate.
- What did critics think of Max Manus: Man of War?
- Critics broadly praised Aksel Hennie’s performance, direction, technical craft, production values, and credible emotional warmth, while viewing the film as a gripping but conventional wartime biographical drama.
- Which films are like Max Manus: Man of War?
- Films with a similar feel include Flame & Citron, Army of Shadows, Anthropoid, and The Imitation Game.
- How long is Max Manus: Man of War?
- Max Manus: Man of War runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch Max Manus: Man of War?
- In United States, Max Manus: Man of War streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Viaplay Amazon Channel.
