Words of War, the real-life drama starring Maxine Peake as the late Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, is now streaming for free on ITVX. The film, directed by James Strong, has an 89 per cent Rotten Tomatoes score and has drawn emotional reactions from viewers.
A story of courage and corruption
Inspired by a true story, Words of War follows Anna Politkovskaya, a journalist and human rights activist who exposed corruption in Vladimir Putin's regime and reported on the conflict in Chechnya. Alongside Peake, the film stars Jason Isaacs as her husband Alexander Politkovsky and Ciarán Hinds as Dmitry Muratov, her editor at Novaya Gazeta, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021.
Released in 2025, the movie is produced by Sean Penn and directed by James Strong, known for the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office.
Anna Politkovskaya's legacy
Anna was a crusading Russian journalist famed for her exposés of corruption and the Chechen war. From 1999, she travelled to Chechnya almost every month for several years. She took part in negotiations for Nord-Ost, the 2002 hostage crisis at a Moscow theatre, after Chechen rebels specifically requested her.
In 2004, she hoped to help resolve the crisis in Beslan, where heavily armed militants held hostages in a school for three days. However, she never made it there; she was poisoned on the plane while en route to Beslan, reports the BBC. Two years later, Anna was murdered in Moscow.
Viewer reactions
Viewers have praised the film, with one describing it as "Powerful, timely storytelling that should be seen. It's that good", while another wrote: "This film gave me chills. Its historic significance is astoundingly timely. I cannot recommend it enough."
Another viewer said: "This film is so moving and informative, I wish every student, if not all people, would watch this film. It's so on point to what's been happening and why it still goes on. Thank you for the reminder of why we need Free Speech and a Free Press."
Words of War is streaming now for free on ITVX.
