The Bloody Hundredth

If you want a documentary that respects its subject, The Bloody Hundredth is available in Australia on Apple TV and Apple TV Amazon Channel, and in the US on Apple TV and Apple TV Amazon Channel right now. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Tom Hanks's involvement signals a level of cooperation that is hard to secure. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Apple TV.

The Bloody Hundredth is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The access The Bloody Hundredth gets is remarkable — and the storytelling does full justice to it. Meet the real-life airmen who inspired Masters of the Air as they share the harrowing and transformative events of the 100th Bomb Group. Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2024. The restraint in The Bloody Hundredth is what makes it trustworthy — it does not need to editorialise to make its point. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

The Bloody Hundredth is the kind of documentary you immediately want to recommend to someone else. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Rigorous in a way documentary work does not always commit to. Not background viewing — it rewards your full attention.