Fans have hailed the film as a ‘masterpiece’ (Image: Warner Bros.)
A “masterpiece” thriller based on a best-selling book is streaming for free in the UK. Watchmen (2009) is a dark re-imagining of the superhero genre, set in an alternate history of the mid 1980s during the Cold War. The title refers to a group of American superheroes looking to uncover the mystery of who murdered a member of the team, known as The Comedian.
But their investigation reveals an earth-shattering conspiracy that could unleash a humanitarian catastophe. It features an ensemble cast, including Malin Åkerman, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, and Patrick Wilson. It was directed by Zack Snyder, from a screenplay by David Hayter and Alex Tse, and based on seminal DC Comics series of the same name by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore.
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It was based on the seminal graphic novel of the same name by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore. (Image: Warner Bros.)
The complete collection of the 12-issue series was a bestseller, named among Time’s List of the 100 Best Novels from 1923 to 2005.
It’s widely hailed as one of, if not the, greatest graphic novel of all time. One fan went even further, writing on Reddit that it’s “one of the greatest pieces of literature” too.
And while many fans feel nothing can match the book, the film has been lavished with praise on review-aggregator platforms.
One fan, writing on IMDb in 2023, said the world “wasn’t ready for this super hero classic”, calling it a “masterpiece, from the story to the music and the super heroes”.
“The fact that they are vulnerable makes it more interesting,”they added.
Another agreed, saying: “I don’t believe that I can add anything further, when commenting about this masterpiece, apart from to say, that in my humble opinion, this is possibly the most underrated movie of all time.”
The film offers a dark re-imagining of the superhero genre. (Image: Warner Bros.)
A third said it’s worth a rewatch even if you saw it when it came out. “I went with the ultimate cut which is 3.5 hours long and is absolutely brilliant, the depth of characters, the strong storytelling, the great soundtrack all seem to have either grown into themselves or cinema seems to have caught up,” they wrote.
“I see lots of other shows and movies similar to this one that have come out in the last decade that have all taken things from it.”
A fourth wrote: “After watching this movie, I’ve felt what a true superhero movie is. The watchmen is one of the greatest superhero films of all time.
“It’s past generation seemed to not appreciate such a great film. It depicted something so relatable and true about a potential timeline that we could also be living in. It’s realism and glory is long overdue.”
The film has an 18 certificate and contains strong bloody violence, so viewer discretion is advised.
Watchmen is streaming for free with ads on ITVX. It’s also available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime Video, Sky Store, and Apple TV.
