Prime Video Thriller The Tank Becomes Massive Streaming Success

Prime Video's gritty new World War II thriller has instantly become a worldwide success on streaming, following its previous theatrical release. There are plenty of World War II movies that have showcased the horrors of war from various perspectives. Famous films like Saving Private Ryan and Dunkirk focus on the realistic warfare and events that Allied soldiers had to endure.

However, Prime Video's newest film in the genre, The Tank, tells a war story from the perspective of a tank operator group from Germany. The German movie follows Philip Gerkins (David Schütter) who is given orders to lead his men and their Tiger tank into contested territory between Germany and the Soviet Union to find Lieutenant Paul von Hardenburg (Tilman Strauss).

Now, FlixPatrol reports that The Tank is the Number 2 movie in the world on Prime Video. Following its worldwide release on January 2, 2026, the movie has earned the Number 1 spot in 15 countries as of January 6, 2026. This includes its home country of Germany, with other notable regions being Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden.

The war movie's streaming success comes after it enjoyed theatrical success in Germany in September 2025. The movie was released in select theaters across the country, and despite not having a wide distribution, still became a success in the country. Its wider release and subsequent popularity is proving this on a much larger scale.

While most other World War II movies focus on Allied powers, The Tank takes a risk by portraying a group of Nazi tank operators in a somewhat sympathetic light. However, the film is also an anti-war story that doesn't shy away from showcasing Axis atrocities, with a focus on their conflict with the Soviet Union after the Battle of Stalingrad.

The Prime Video distributed movie is earning some generally strong praise from audiences as well: it currently sits at 6.6 out of 10 on IMDb based on 3,500 reviews. This means the film is not only popular, but has relatively strong support from audiences. It justifies the film's popularity while signaling it explores its themes in meaningful ways.

Since the movie only just came to Prime Video, it could see even more interest as the week progresses. The Tank is a standout because of the risk it takes in its story, while not shying away from the brutal, immortal nature of the Nazi's actions. This nuanced approach is probably why it's so popular, and why it could remain a standout for weeks to come.