Prime Video is starting to roll out its 2026 movie lineup. First up is the new original movie “The Tank” (also known as “The Tiger” in certain regions). It’s a World War II flick that tips its hat to many heavyweights of the genre, from “Fury” to “All Quiet on the Western Front.”
The German-language feature centers on a squad of men operating within the claustrophobic confines of a rolling metal unit of destruction. But beyond the explosive opening, “The Tank” is most focused on the psychological toll of warfare, and even dips into the surreal in its third act.
“The Tank” arrived on Prime Video last week (on January 2), and has been rapidly climbing the streaming service’s top 10 most-watched list since. In the U.S., it’s currently ranked No. 7, while over in the U.K., it’s making a play for the No. 1 spot and sits in the platform’s top 5. Clearly, “The Tank” is attracting plenty of attention from subscribers to Amazon’s service.
Having now streamed the new original, I found a war movie with some interesting ideas, but one that doesn’t take full advantage of its potential. Here’s what you need to know about “The Tank” on Prime Video.
What is ‘The Tank’ about?
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Set on the Eastern Front of World War II in 1943, “The Tank” centers on a five-man squad of German soldiers operating a Tiger tank on a dangerous mission to rescue a comrade trapped behind enemy lines. Yes, the “Saving Private Ryan” parallels are rather obvious.
Facing a litany of dangers from encroaching enemy forces to destructive land mines along the muddy roads, the tank’s squad is besieged at every turn. However, as they continue their mission, the real horrors come in the psychological toll the conflict takes on these men and the battle scars they endure.
Directed by Dennis Gansel and starring David Schütter, Laurence Rupp, Yoran Leicher, Sebastian Urzendowsky and Yoran Leicher, “The Tank” is a war movie that doesn’t prioritize action, but instead looks to examine the human cost of history’s most deadly conflict.
Should you stream ‘The Tank’ on Prime Video this week?
“The Tank” grabs your attention out of the gate with a thrilling all-action opening that sees the titular vehicle in the middle of an explosive battle sequence. However, viewers shouldn’t expect this to be the norm going forward. Action is used sparingly, with the focus instead placed on the increasingly fraying psyche of its core cast and the high cost of warfare.
Granted, this isn’t exactly a new idea for a war movie. From 1930’s “All Quiet on the Western Front” (and its 2022 Netflix remake) to titans of the genre like “The Thin Red Line” and “Apocalypse Now,” many similar flicks have deconstructed wartime heroism and attempted to showcase the brutal realities of fighting on a bloody frontline. Even the movie’s core hook, being focused on a single tank and its tight-knit crew, isn’t new.
“The Tank” often plays out like a dream, or perhaps more like a nightmare. A sequence where the squad rolls into a village set ablaze is particularly memorable, alongside a trek through a mist-blanketed wood that feels like something out of a horror movie. There’s even a historically questionable scene where the tank operates like a submarine. It might be implausible (I don’t think WWII tanks were amphibious), but it’s pretty tense as bone-chilling water starts to drip through into the tank’s hull.
There are a lot of interesting, if hardly original, ideas at play in “The Tank,” but its familiarity does blunt its impact. By the halfway point, “The Tank” has played its most interesting cards, which is a problem when there’s another hour of the runtime left. Compounding the issue, viewers well-versed in the war genre will be able to predict several narrative beats before they play out, and the ending is proving largely unpopular.
Looking at the movie’s viewers’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, there’s a common theme in the negative write-ups. Prime Video watchers have branded the finale an unsatisfying conclusion that raises more questions than it answers. To the filmmaker’s credit, in its final few moments, “The Tank” swings for the fences, but it doesn’t quite connect as intended.
Strong cinematography and a solid effort from the cast keep “The Tank” from getting stuck in the trenches and stalling out, but the Prime Video original isn’t able to keep pace with the numerous classic war movies that clearly inspired it.
“The Tank” is far from the only Prime Video original landing on the Amazon-owned streaming service this month. For more viewing recommendations, here’s a full guide to everything new on Prime Video in January 2026, which includes new movies and bingable TV shows.
Watch “The Tank” on Prime Video now
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