The Wipers Times (2013): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2013, The Wipers Times is a comedy, drama, war and tv movie film directed by Andy De Emmony, running about 92 minutes. “In dark times, they chose to make light” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. When Captain Fred Roberts discovered a printing press in the ruins of Ypres, Belgium in 1916, he decided to publish a satirical magazine called The Wipers Times - "Wipers" being army slang for Ypres. Full of gallows humour, The Wipers Times was poignant, subversive and very funny. Produced literally under enemy fire and defying both authority and gas attacks, the magazine proved a huge success with the troops on the western front. It was, above all, a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming adversity. In his spare time, Roberts also managed to win the Military Cross for gallantry.

Who’s in it. The Wipers Times stars Ben Chaplin as Roberts, Julian Rhind-Tutt as Pearson, Michael Palin as General Mitford and Emilia Fox as Kate Roberts, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.3/10, The Wipers Times has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads and Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Wipers Times page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Wipers Times tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Life Is Beautiful and Fight Club.