Most of Tom Cruise's films are remembered for well-known reasons. They are built around large-scale, loud, stunt-heavy spectacles where he does something slightly crazy to entertain us. However, Valkyrie never fit this mold, which is part of why it stands out as one of the quieter titles in his filmography, yet it remains a seriously effective war thriller. Directed by Bryan Singer, the 2008 film tells the story of the July 20 plot to assassinate Hitler, with Cruise playing the role of Claus von Stauffenberg, the man at the center of the conspiracy.

If you're considering rewatching this, now is the perfect time. Valkyrie is currently available on Amazon Prime Video and, according to JustWatch data, will remain on the platform until April 29, 2026. This offers quite a narrow window before it leaves the service. Such a deadline tends to remind people just how rich the content of this film truly is. Alongside Cruise, the cast includes Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Carice van Houten, Thomas Kretschmann, Terence Stamp, and Eddie Izzard, and the film plays out more like a tightly wound piece of tension than a dusty history lesson.

The film is sharp, tense, and far more engaging than the "prestige WWII drama" label might suggest. If Prime is about to lose this, it's one of those films truly worth watching before it goes. In context, Valkyrie's success is one of those cinematic works that places characters within a historical force and observes what happens there. Cinema on a grand scale, meaning it has been kept under official control, and it is precisely this controlled restraint that makes it so horrifying. You want to watch the film not for comfort, but for honesty, to let it scratch at you.

According to Collider's review, Valkyrie is likely better than many expect, especially considering the doubts surrounding Cruise at that time. However, the review discusses how, despite Cruise delivering a perfectly solid performance, he is often overshadowed by the impressive supporting cast around him. The role of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg is the man at the center of the plot to kill Hitler, and the film succeeds in feeling more like a taut thriller than a history lesson.