Christopher Nolan's WWII Epic Oppenheimer Dominates Global Streaming Charts

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Josh Hartnett as Ernest Lawrence in Oppenheimer

Published Jan 28, 2026, 12:28 PM EST

Makuochi Echebiri is a News Writer for Collider. He has been interested in creative writing from as far back as high school, and he would consume pretty much anything that’s film or TV. However, his truest love lies in the presence of historical epics and thrillers.

Lured by the brilliance of Middle Earth from an early age both in print and on screen, his palate has since expanded to other realms including Westeros, Kattegat among others. He also possesses a great appetite for the stories that emanate from the vastness of space. Even though he is no Avenger.

Obsessed with storytelling and having works of his own that have yet to make it to print, he is content to use that ability to communicate to as many as are reachable. In his spare time, he looks out for avenues where he can aid people aside from his plans to reign over this earthly realm. Yes…you heard that first here.

The Second World War has been the subject of several adaptations over the decades, with films like Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan depicting the war at its height. Other films, such as Prime Video's psychological thriller The Tank and Russell Crowe's courtroom drama Nuremberg, cover the latter stages and aftermath of the war. While there are very different kinds of World War II films available today, only one reigns supreme as the highest-grossing World War II movie of all time. That title belongs to director Christopher Nolan's masterpiece, Oppenheimer, which grossed nearly $1 billion at the box office before sweeping the 2024 Academy Awards. The film's far-reaching dominance has since translated online, with data from FlixPatrol confirming that the WWII drama is making another statement on Digital.

Oppenheimer is no stranger to streaming: since its release nearly three years ago, the blockbuster has bounced around on various streaming services, including Peacock and Prime Video. Currently on digital, Oppenheimer is performing well in the top 10 of the iTunes charts across several countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Slovenia, Lebanon, and more. Oppenheimer premiered in the summer of 2023 and, despite the passage of time, the film still holds significant appeal, which explains its resurgence on digital platforms. In the past decade, Oppenheimer has been one of the highest-rated films centered on World War II, from both critics and audiences. This is reflected in its scores of 93% and 91% for critics and audiences, respectively, on the aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes.

Oppenheimer follows the defining moments in the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the race during WWII to build nuclear weapons. The film stars Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr., both of whom won Oscars for their performances. Murphy stars in the lead role as Robert Oppenheimer. Emily Blunt, Josh Hartnett, Matt Damon, and Jason Clarke also star. The film was beloved among critics, with Collider's own Ross Bonaime writing in his review, "It is the kind of film that makes you appreciative of every aspect of filmmaking, blowing you away with how it all comes together in such a fitting fashion."

Christopher Nolan Has Yet Another Masterpiece in the Works

Oppenheimer is not director Nolan's only attempt to bring parts of WWII history to life. The Oscar-winning filmmaker is also responsible for another masterpiece in Dunkirk, the WWII movie which followed the tense evacuation of Allied soldiers from the French beach town of the same name as German forces closed in on them. Until 2023 and the release of Oppenheimer, Dunkirk had held the title of the biggest WW2 movie ever, having overtaken Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan some years prior. Nolan is poised for another new release this year, but the filmmaker will shift gears to something more mythological in nature. The Odyssey will be a historical epic led by Oppenheimer’s Matt Damon. The epic is currently primed for release on July 17, 2026, and is expected to be one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. It also stars Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and many more.