Credit: Lionsgate / Amazon MGM Studios

History gets quite a riotous handling in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, and Guy Ritchie makes no apology for it. That tracks mostly because of this man’s entire filmmaking temperament, mind you, as restraint has never been his calling card. Must be the reason Netflix viewers keep coming back to this one.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare film did not set cinemas alight in 2024, but Netflix has given it a cracking second innings, with the movie hitting number three in the US and breaking into the global chart by taking over the sixth position.

Funny thing is, what passed with a handful of fans on the big screen has found its crowd on streaming. And all that despite having faces like Henry Cavill and Alan Ritchson and, of course, the director, Guy Ritchie himself on board. Sheesh, must’ve sucked!

The film takes us to the year 1941, when Britain is having an absolute mare at sea. German U-boats keep tearing into its ships, and the usual military playbook is getting them nowhere, so Churchill kicks the polite stuff in the ass and hands the dirty work to Gus March-Phillipps. That’s Henry Cavill, by the way. His job centres on Fernando Po, where an Italian supply ship called the Duchessa d’Aosta is helping keep Germany’s submarines in business. Gus is sent to make sure it stops being one.

Now Gus does not sail in with some parade-ground bunch who salute on cue. Instead, he brings men who treat orders as loose guidance, which, fair play, is handy when the job itself sits miles outside the rulebook. Back on the island, Marjorie Stewart is doing her bit from inside the operation, keeping attention away from Gus while he moves closer to the ship. So far, so good, right?

Then things go wrong, of course, because when have any of these plans moved smoothly, in films and in real life? Gus has to think on his feet as the plan starts falling apart. From there, the mission gets messy fast, and everyone is scrambling to keep it alive. Not ideal for the people in charge, but for us watching… lovely stuff.

The real history underneath all that gunfire is even more amazing to know. Operation Postmaster took place in 1942, when British operatives seized Axis vessels from Fernando Po, then a neutral Spanish territory. It belonged to the murky world of covert wartime sabotage linked with Britain’s Special Operations Executive. Ian Fleming’s connection with British intelligence adds another wrinkle to the history behind it.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’s theatrical run brought in about $29.8 million worldwide, which makes this Netflix revival feel like a belated vindication.

And that may be the secret sauce, pal. If you think about it, Netflix has done this film one hell of a favour, because after that massive disappointment of a cinema run, it would have been dead easy for The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare to disappear into that great ocean of films people barely remember coming out.