‘Exceptional’ war film now streaming on Netflix has fans in disbelief | Films | Entertainment

First released in 2021, this war film has viewers in disbelief as they find out the thriller is based on real-life events.

Operation Mincemeat is a film set during the Second World War, starring A-list actor Colin Firth alongside White Lotus’s Jason Isaacs, in the retelling of the 1943 deception incident. The successful British operation of the same name was a famous tactic the British army used to mislead the Germans.

In a series of real-life events captured in the film two members of British intelligence obtain the body of a dead homeless man and disguise him as a Royal Marines officer. As part of the incredible plot, the officers placed personal items on the man’s body, which hinted he was a captain. They also included made-up correspondence about a planned invasion of Greece, rather than Sardinia.

Viewers have taken to Rotten Tomatoes to share their thoughts on the powerful story told in the movie. One states: “A very intriguing film and comparable to the original. I love fact-based movies and find this one exceptional.”

Another writes: “A fantastic cast really underpins this historical drama. Telling the story of one of the great Allied ploys to fool the Nazis ahead of the D-Day landings, it really goes to show how much could have gone wrong…and there were so many other moving pieces I was not aware of. Highly recommended to those who enjoy a well-executed war drama.”

In 1939, the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, confirmed the allies were planning an attack on Sicily that same year but it was considered to be an obvious move. The Brits were concerned when they invaded the region it would be defended by Germany and so proposed a plan to throw them the enemy off the scent. Operation Mincemeat was that very bizarre plan.

Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen play Ewen Montagu and Charles Cholmondeley, the mission’s real-life masterminds, in what viewers are calling “heartfelt ” performances. One audience member wrote: “Operation Mincemeat is content to rest on the considerable talents of its stars, Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen, but it lacks a flair for the dramatic that such a wild espionage plot truly deserves.

A similar review added: “So much potential in terms of cast, talent and story, but in the end just dull and tedious…”

Director John Madden opened up to Empire about his highly praised casting decisions. He said: “If you want anyone on your side in a fight against Hitler, Colin Firth is a strong choice – smart, reliable, and really very nice… As soon as Michelle and I had figured our way through that, I sent it to Colin, and he became involved in it pretty quickly.”

In a surprising turn of events, the British film was adapted into a Broadway musical, which made its stage debut in March 2025, whilst previously appearing on the West End two years earlier. The original cast from the London play reprised the show for the Broadway production and it became a huge success.

After its first preview, the show went on to extend its run after popular demand for a further four weeks. Ever since the show has been extended numerous times and will not run all the way through until February 2026.

For those wanting to see the thrilling war film, you can watch all two hours, eight minutes of Operation Mincemeat on Netflix now.