Critics were somewhat divided on the film's pacing, though most praised its final act:
The harrowing execution of the assassination attempt on May 27, 1942. Anthropoid (2016)
Overall, Anthropoid is regarded as a hard-hitting, informative historical lesson that honors the sacrifice of those who stood against the Nazi regime. Critics were somewhat divided on the film's pacing,
The film follows two exiled Czechoslovak soldiers, (Cillian Murphy) and Jan Kubiš (Jamie Dornan), who are parachuted into their Nazi-occupied homeland in December 1941. With minimal intelligence and the help of a dwindling local resistance, they must plan and execute the assassination of Heydrich in the heart of Prague. The story is divided into three distinct phases: With minimal intelligence and the help of a
Filmed on location in Prague, the movie is noted for its period-accurate costumes and environments. Director Sean Ellis utilized a "shaky-cam" aesthetic and a muted, sepia-toned palette to evoke a sense of gritty realism and constant dread.
Reviewers from The Hollywood Outsider and Roger's Movie Nation called it a "magnificent" and "riveting" tribute to the resistance. Cillian Murphy’s performance, in particular, received high marks for its quiet intensity.