One of the best war movies of the last few decades has been added to streaming, with Brits being able to watch it for free. A genre that has stood the test of time is war movies, many of which sweep Oscars and other awards when they are released. One of those, which won an impressive six Oscars, has landed on BBC iPlayer for UK streamers, meaning it is completely free to watch for those who hold a TV licence.
The Hurt Locker was added to BBC iPlayer this weekend, landing on the free streaming platform on Saturday, August 23. This film, which was released in 2008, received a slew of awards and to this day has a high Rotten Tomatoes score of 96%. Not only that, but it has a stacked cast of Hollywood stars. Its ensemble includes Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes and Evangeline Lily.
The Hurt Locker is included in IMDb’s list of the best war films of the 21st Century so far, with almost half a million reviews and an overwhelming number of positive scores from both viewers and critics.
The Hurt Locker follows Sergeant William James, who is tasked with training a bomb disposal team during the Iraq War. His ideologies and reckless approach to the job lead to conflicts with his subordinates.
Fans have had excellent things to say about The Hurt Locker. One viewer said: “Great war storytelling, amongst the best I ever watch and I had watched.”
Another commented: “Another movie I put off seeing for a decade and I suppose it was worth the wait. Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie are fantastic in their roles, bringing the messiness of Iraq in those years we were over there. Kathryn Bigelow is at her best with these types of movies, and the Oscar for Best Director on this front was well deserved!”
A third said: “It showed the lives of these people in a human way. The different qualities of people who are in this type of work, the different ways each main character copes with it. It isn’t something which focuses on military politics or morals but it’s not something that needs to or necessarily should. For what it is about it does a great job at showing it and giving you their experiences.”
As well as The Hurt Locker, BBC iPlayer added some other movies this past weekend, including The Prestige (2006), The Train (1964) and The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert (1994). For those who have an Amazon Prime subscription, The Hurt Locker is also available there.