Common Sense Media Review
By Stefan Pape
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Incredible WWII true story has disturbing scenes, smoking.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Operation Mincemeat
What's the Story?
OPERATION MINCEMEAT tells a remarkable true story of espionage and deception. With World War II ongoing, a major battle is on the horizon in Sicily, and it's one that will cost the British army countless lives. So two intelligence officers, Ewen Montagu (Colin Firth) and Charles Cholmondeley (Matthew Macfadyen), come up with a plan -- to divert the Germans to Greece, and allow the British soldiers onto shore with minimal obstruction. The plan is to ensure a planted corpse washes up on a beach containing fake documents. What could possibly go wrong?
Is It Any Good?
This drama -- based on real events -- is such a brilliantly cinematic story, it almost feels as if it would have been impossible to get wrong. That said, Operation Mincemeat still required an accomplished, deft hand to bring it to life, and do it the justice it deserves. Thankfully director John Madden more than delivers. Helped along by the great cast, with Macfadyen in particular stealing the show, the film moves seamlessly between different genres. Given it's a tale that is so enriched by its hard-to-believe elements, the filmmakers have used this as a platform to take a heightened take on proceedings.
The film has stories within the story, and celebrates the entire notion of artistic deception. And yet, it's remarkably more moving than anticipated, as the whole operation, despite being so bombastic, is tinged with a profound sadness. Not only for the man whose body they're literally using for their own gain, but for the ongoing war, highlighting the mad lengths people will go to in a desperate bid to overcome fascism. Perhaps the one downside is that, tonally, it could have been even more overstated -- something rarely said about films. The story is so inconceivable, it almost feels like the filmmakers could have reveled more in its comedic moments, instead opting to take a more serious approach.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the historical context of Operation Mincemeat. Did you know anything about this story? Can you believe it's based on real events? Has the film inspired you to learn more about WWII? How to talk to kids about violence, crime, and war.
How was drinking and smoking depicted in the film? Were they glamorized? How has our behavior when it comes to drinking and smoking changed from when the movie was set?
Talk about the behavior of Montagu and Cholmondeley. Would you describe them as positive role models? Did you find anything they did questionable?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 6, 2022
- On DVD or streaming : May 11, 2022
- Cast : Colin Firth , Matthew Macfadyen , Kelly Macdonald
- Director : John Madden
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : History
- Character Strengths : Courage , Teamwork
- Run time : 128 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong language, some sexual content, brief war violence, disturbing images, and smoking
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate