In the competitive world of digital entertainment, even critically acclaimed titles can find themselves overtaken by surprise contenders. That’s exactly what happened this month when Prime Video’s German-language psychological war drama The Tank surged ahead of James Vanderbilt’s Nuremberg on global streaming rankings.
Just weeks ago, Nuremberg — a World War II courtroom drama starring Russell Crowe as infamous Nazi war criminal Hermann Göring — appeared set for a long and successful run on PVOD platforms. Despite a lukewarm box office performance, the film earned glowing audience feedback, holding a “verified hot” 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Strong reviews typically translate into robust digital sales and rentals, and Nuremberg seemed poised to capitalize.
However, Prime Video’s newest WWII offering, The Tank, has quickly become the platform’s breakout hit. Data from FlixPatrol shows the film holding steady in the number two spot on Prime Video’s worldwide charts this week, trailing only Dave Bautista’s high-octane action flick Trap House. In doing so, The Tank has outperformed a lineup of major releases, including Jason Statham’s A Working Man and Wrath of Man, Ben Affleck’s The Accountant 2, and Dwayne Johnson’s holiday adventure Red One.
The momentum isn’t limited to global rankings. Domestically, The Tank has risen to second place, just behind the newly released The Naked Gun remake. On January 13, it even eclipsed Sinners, a period horror title that recently made headlines at the Golden Globes. Meanwhile, Nuremberg remains a fixture on Amazon and Apple TV’s PVOD charts, though it’s been gradually slipping in recent days.
Directed by Dennis Gansel — known for his chilling 2008 drama The Wave, which explored how authoritarian ideologies can take root in everyday settings — The Tank delivers an intense and introspective take on the war genre. The story follows a group of German soldiers tasked with rescuing a commandant trapped behind enemy lines. As the mission unfolds, they are confronted with the moral weight of their orders, forcing them to face the brutal realities of the conflict.
Serving as a thematic companion to David Ayer’s acclaimed 2014 film Fury, The Tank blends tense battlefield sequences with psychological depth, offering viewers more than just action — it’s a study of conscience under extreme circumstances. The combination of gripping storytelling, atmospheric direction, and historical resonance appears to be resonating strongly with audiences, pushing the film to the forefront of Prime Video’s January lineup.
With The Tank’s rapid rise and Nuremberg’s gradual decline in the rankings, the battle for WWII streaming supremacy is proving to be as unpredictable as the war stories themselves. For fans of wartime dramas, Prime Video is currently home to one of the most talked-about releases of the season.
