Hundreds of World War 2 movies have been produced over the years, with the finest ranked in our Top 10, where Saving Private Ryan missed out on the number one spot. Yet occasionally, a classic goes unnoticed despite critical acclaim, and the most underrated of recent years is Terrence Malick's three-hour epic set in Nazi Germany.
A Hidden Life: A True Story of Resistance
Released in 2019, A Hidden Life is based on the true story of an unsung hero, Franz Jägerstätter, a conscientious objector who refused to fight for Hitler. This beautiful and devastating drama follows his journey from life on his peaceful Austrian farm to his imprisonment awaiting trial for treason.
The Impact on Franz's Family
Meanwhile, the devout Catholic's wife and children are ostracized by their neighbors, who remain loyal to the Nazi regime. Tragically, Franz was sentenced to death, but the film captures his unwavering resilience to his faith and conscience as he stood up to evil.
A Hidden Life also features the final performances of original John Wick villain Michael Nyqvist and Downfall's Hitler actor Bruno Ganz.
Streaming Now on Disney+
This critically acclaimed masterpiece is now streaming on Disney+. The film's title is taken from George Eliot's Middlemarch: 'For the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.' This in turn was inspired by the Bible verse Colossians 3:3: 'For you died, and [now] your life is hidden with Christ in God.'
