Parents' Guide to Munich: The Edge of War

Based on the novel by Robert Harris, this historical drama takes a look at some of the key events that led up to the start of WWII. Munich: The Edge of War begins in 1932, with three university friends -- one British and two German, one of whom is Jewish -- drunkenly celebrating their friendship at a lavish party. Fast forward six years and their lives are very different, with the world on the cusp of a global conflict. Viewers with an interest in this period of history will be familiar with Chamberlain and Hitler's meeting in Munich. Albeit in this version of events Chamberlain comes across as far more sympathetic than he does in the majority of history books.

Of course the fact that the story is based on real events takes some of the jeopardy and mystery out of proceedings. Much of the movie hinges on the prevention of a war that we all know took place. But director Christian Schwochow, with some dramatic license, still manages to create a tense atmosphere that is more in keeping with a gripping spy story than smoky meetings between politicians and diplomats -- although there's a fair share of those too. The film's pacing at times feels amiss -- perhaps suffering from the transition from book to screen. The scenes with Legat and his wife, Pamela, for example, add little to the story and only highlight how underused Jessica Brown Findlay is in the role. While the fate of Legat and Hartman's university friend Lenya (Liv Lisa Fries) feels rushed. But there's plenty here for those that like their spy thrillers at a slower pace than the likes of James Bond and Jason Bourne.