With January’s Munich – The Edge of War being a cut above Netflix’s average fare, it seemed the streamer may have finally found a film genre that it excels at producing. Keeping that momentum going with Operation Mincemeat, Netflix has managed to offer up yet another engaging WW2 espionage drama, one that’s anchored by a talented Anglo cast. While it may lack some of the urgency that The Edge of War benefited from, Operation Mincemeat tells an equally powerful and little-known true story.

Set in spring/summer 1943, this film showcases the efforts of British Naval Intelligence to obfuscate the Allied invasion plan set for that July. Despite pushback from their superior, officers Ewen Montagu (Colin Firth) and Charles Cholmondeley (Matthew Macfadyen) champion a plan to deposit a corpse carrying false, misleading documents off the coast of Fascist Spain, in the hope that said documents will eventually end up in the hands of Nazi intelligence. In truth, the Allies plan to invade Sicily, but if Ewen and Charles succeed, the Germans will suspect their target is Greece. If all goes well, the Germans will reinforce the wrong country, saving God knows how many Allied lives.

Without question, this is one hell of a true story. That being said, I did wonder if it’s a story that can sustain a two-hour movie. Turns out, my doubts were mostly proven misplaced, mostly. When Operation Mincemeat focuses its attention on the espionage side of things, it’s highly engaging and often humorous. This is a pleasant surprise, as one might think that scouring morgues for a dead body would be a maudlin affair, and that typing up some fake documents a boring one. Rather than focusing on those things, the script leans into the audaciousness of it all, leading to a number of memorable moments, many of which are infused with wit. When you add in none other than Ian Fleming’s (Johnny Flynn’s) elegant narration, you’ve got a winning formula.

It also helps that, from the off, Ewen and his team face constant skepticism about their plan from their superior, Admiral Godfrey, played by the reliably austere Jason Isaacs. This means Ewen and Co. are the underdogs, and if you’re like me, then you’ll root for them unflinchingly for this reason. However, Ewen and Charles’ mission isn’t the only underdog story on display here. Take Jean Leslie’s (Kelly Macdonald) tale for example. She’s a capable, determined woman who’s been relegated to secretarial work, but she manages to make herself indispensable to Ewen and Charles. Sure, she rises through the ranks a bit too quickly to be fully satisfying story-wise, but it’s still a diverting subplot to watch.

However, I said “mostly” a couple of paragraphs ago because not everything on display here is thoroughly compelling. As much as I enjoyed Jean as a character and Macdonald’s portrayal of her, I was disappointed that so much runtime was dedicated to her love triangle with Ewen and Charles. It’s not that this love story is cloying, à la Pearl Harbor; it’s just too old-fashioned and unadventurous to justify the time spent on it in the first two acts. If anything in Operation Mincemeat feels like filler, it’s this romantic subplot. I could’ve done without it, but I do see how its addition might make this movie more appealing to a broader audience.

In the third act, the bouncing back and forth between spy and romantic stuff mostly ceases, leading to the film’s most exciting and focused scenes. I was particularly fond of the parts set in Spain, with some of the bit actors (Nicholas Rowe and Will Keen) playing key roles in the movie’s best moments. The only drawback to these sequences is that they’re dismayingly brief, forcing me to ponder if Operation Mincemeat would’ve worked better as a tight 90-minute thriller sans all the romance and character-building.*

As for this movie’s history, I think WW2 buffs like myself will mostly appreciate it, but again, mostly. Based on my knowledge surrounding the Sicilian campaign, I can say with some confidence that Operation Mincemeat is an accurate and respectful depiction of the espionage, planning, and execution of that invasion. I was specifically fond of how screenwriter Michelle Ashford handled the Glyndwr Michael element, which was done with tact and didn’t dodge the question over the morality of utilizing a person’s corpse in the name of deception. If I had to nitpick about something, and I imagine other WW2 buffs might do the same, it has to do with the way the film overdramatizes the importance of the Sicily campaign. At the same time, though, I can see how those involved at the time might’ve thought it was a major turning point, since they lacked a broader perspective.

All in all, Operation Mincemeat satisfies with its first-rate acting, tactful storytelling, and blips of humor or suspense. Indeed, it gets bogged down in a tasteful but mundane love story from time to time, but its third act rectifies that drawback and then some. For a handful of WW2 buffs, some of the history might come off as overstated or laid on thick, but to be frank, the majority of viewers won’t care about that in the slightest. Yet, I come back to that question over whether this story required two hours of runtime, and I remain conflicted. Regardless, as it is, Operation Mincemeat is another solid WW2 espionage movie for Netflix. If you enjoyed Munich – The Edge of War, then you won’t want to miss it.**

If I had to score it, I’d give Operation Mincemeat a 7/10.

Notes:

* This is one area where The Edge of War handily outshines Operation Mincemeat, as it dedicates a full hour or so to subterfuge in enemy territory. That being said, Mincemeat is a more rounded film that’ll likely appeal to a broader audience, so there is that to consider when comparing the two.

** Quick note – I just realized that Operation Mincemeat is based on a book of the same name by Ben Macintyre. I just watched and reviewed another of his adapted works, Rogue Heroes, a WW2 TV series that comes from the creator of Peaky Blinders. To read that review, click here.