Cillian Murphy's 'pulse-pounding' thriller critics can't get enough of is finally coming to Netflix

Looking for an Oscar-winning film to watch this weekend? Netflix is set to drop a "pulse-pounding" epic thriller that's been hailed as a "cinematic masterpiece" – and it's at the top of our watch list.

If, like me, you never managed to catch Oppenheimer in cinemas (or couldn't bring yourself to watch it on a tiny plane screen), then you're in luck. The Oscar-winning biographical thriller lands on Netflix on Saturday 12 July – so mark your calendars.

Set during World War II, Oppenheimer charts the true story of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team of scientists as they create the atomic bomb.

Read on to get all the details…

What is Oppenheimer about?

Written and directed by Christopher Nolan – known for his work on Interstellar, The Dark Night, Inception and Tenet – Oppenheimer is based on the biography American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.

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The Pulitzer Prize-winning book was written by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin over 25 years and published in 2005.

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The thriller, which captivated audiences worldwide and won numerous awards including an Oscar for Best Picture in 2024, sees Cillian Murphy bring the "father of the atomic bomb" to life.

Through the 180-minute epic, we see the deterioration of Oppenheimer as he faces the moral consequences of his scientific discovery – as well as its impact on the people around him.

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The film, which stars Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr. and Florence Pugh – promises to "thrust audiences into the pulse-pounding paradox of the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world in order to save it."

Praise for the film

Since its cinematic release in 2023, Oppenheimer has garnered worldwide praise for its powerful performances and unique historical retelling.

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Grossing $975 million worldwide, it became the third-highest-grossing film of 2023 – after Barbie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Fans and critics shared their praise for the film, with one reviewer writing: "Oppenheimer is a cinematic masterpiece… [It's] a fast-paced thrilling biopic that will leave you stunned. The cinematography, sound design and score are all exceptional."

Boasting over 500 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, the film garnered an impressive 93% rating, and earned four-star ratings from The Guardian and The Times, and five stars from The Telegraph and Empire.

Who stars in Oppenheimer?

The biographical thriller features a star-studded ensemble cast including Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, Emily Blunt as Kitty Oppenheimer, Matt Damon as Leslie Groves, Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss and Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock.

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As if that's not enough starry names, the film also features many other renowned actors such as Josh Hartnett as Ernest Lawrence, Casey Affleck as Boris Pash, Rami Malek as David L. Hill, Kenneth Branagh as Niels Bohr, Benny Safdie as Edward Teller, Tom Conti as Albert Einstein, Gary Oldman as Harry S. Truman and David Krumholtz as Isidor Isaac Rabi.

Oppenheimer will be available to watch on Netflix in the UK and Ireland on Saturday 12 July. It is currently streaming on Prime Video in the US.