Six Minutes to Midnight (2020)

UK, Aug. 15, 1939: 17 days before WWII, an English teacher and his camera disappear on a coastal boarding school with 20 German teen girls. Miller gets the job 6 days later, secretly trying to find out what happened.

Director:

Andy Goddard

Writers:

Eddie Izzard (story by), Celyn Jones (story by)

Stars:

Nigel Lindsay, Judi Dench, Eddie Izzard

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nigel Lindsay	...	Wheatley
Judi Dench	...	Miss Rocholl
Eddie Izzard	...	Thomas Miller
Jim Broadbent	...	Charlie
Maria Dragus	...	Astrid
Luisa-Céline Gaffron	...	Sigrid
Daria Wolf	...	Leta
Bianca Nawrath	...	Paula
Carla Juri	...	Ilse
Franziska Brandmeier	...	Beatrix
Tijan Marei	...	Gretel
Kevin Eldon	...	Sergeant Simmons
Toby Hadoke	...	Music Hall Comic
Andrew Byron	...	German Minister
Joe Bone	...	Jackie

Storyline

Summer 1939. Influential families in Nazi Germany have sent their daughters to a finishing school in an English seaside town to learn the language and be ambassadors for a future looking National Socialist. A teacher there sees what is coming and is trying to raise the alarm. But the authorities believe he is the problem.

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Plot Keywords:

world war two | 

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Taglines:

Britain 1939. Hitler's grip is tightening. No-one can be trusted.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

The names on the Anglo-German Fellowship document are as follows: Eckhard Schafer, Jurgen Fischer, Kurt Weber, Heinrich Krause, Hans Fuchs, Werner Schmidt, Helmut Baumann, Frau Sofia Mayer, George Johnson, Lady Gillian Syth, Edward Chapman, Harold Cole, Mrs. Norah Briscoe, Raymond Davis Hughes, Dr. Arthur Owens, and Duncan Scot*. (*The final letter(s) of Duncan's name were cut off in frame.)

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Goofs

The RAF Spitfire sent to intercept the Junkers Ju-52 transport aircraft has the blue-grey underwing paint scheme adopted in Sept 1940, a year after the events of this film. It should have the half black/half grey scheme adopted from 1938 to help avoid friendly fire from anti-aircraft defences.

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Quotes

Miss Rocholl: What bring you here Mr. Miller? What sort of English man would accept a position teaching Herr Hitler's league of German girls?

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Soundtracks

Hang Out the Stars in Indiana
Written by Billy Moll and Harry M. Woods (as Harry Woods)
Performed by Al Bowlly
Used by permission of Shapiro Bernstein & Co Limited

User Reviews

Very Bumpy Road...

My wife and I watched this last week. Our rule is simple---we each have 'veto' power to stop watching a TV show or movie if we 'just can't take it anymore'. I nearly exercised my veto several times during Six Minutes to Midnight, but kept quiet. As it turns out, my wife also (silently at the time) considered using her veto. Neither of us spoke up. So we watched until the bitter end.

"Uneven" is a kind way to describe this effort. Good cast, nice scenery and the IDEA of the story is excellent. The execution of the story is poor. Sloppy script, poor direction, the pacing is....well, what pacing? There were times when the movie was quite serious...and then turned 'campy'. The character played by D'Arcy, in particular. I got the feeling his parts were filmed at a time when the movie was headed in one direction (camp) but ended up trying to be serious.

Before the credits rolled, we learn the German-controlled school for the education and refinement of daughters of Nazi VIPs (the school located IN ENGLAND) was real and operated for several years prior to England's entry into WWII. I noted the copyright was 2019---and it's being released in 2021. Any port in a storm.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 March 2021 (USA)

Also Known As:

Six Minutes to Midnight

Filming Locations:

Wales, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$51,315, 28 March 2021

Gross USA:

$106,785

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$288,001

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mad As Birds, West Madison Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1