By Marc Woodfork

During the early days of World War II, England faced the possible threat of invasion from German forces.  New Prime Minister Winston Churchill must make a crucial decision to stand and fight the Nazis or try to broker a deal to save his people and country.

For historians and non-historians alike, this is a must-see film.  Gary Oldman turns in his best performance to date as Churchill.  His transformation is nothing short of incredible -- certainly the frontrunner for Oscar glory.

Obviously, knowing the outcome still doesn't deter from the intensity or suspense that the film delivers.  For students of history, it's a window into a extremely difficult and significant moment of the 20th Century.  For the neutral, its just great film making and has a brilliantly written script that doesn't dumb down the dialogue.  The producers do a really good job of capturing the look and feel of 1940's Britain as well as nailing the stress, fear and emotion of a people who find themselves at the brink of collapse.

Because of the historical events of the film, a lot of people will pass on it due to "hating history". Watching "Darkest Hour" isn't so much a history lesson, it's just a great story and a great performance that should not be missed.