Waiting for Anya

Between everything competing for your attention, Waiting for Anya in the US on Amazon Prime Video and Kanopy, and in the UK on Amazon Prime Video is worth clearing space for. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Noah Schnapp leads a cast that never overplays its hand. Put it on tonight on Amazon Prime Video and see for yourself.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Waiting for Anya earns its spot. Character-driven storytelling at its most effective — Waiting for Anya earns every emotional beat it goes for. During the harrows of WWII, Jo, a young shepherd along with the help of the widow Horcada, helps to smuggle Jewish children across the border from southern France into Spain. Noah Schnapp and Thomas Kretschmann lead a cast that treats the material with real seriousness. It hit screens in 2020. The performances in Waiting for Anya do a lot of work in the silences between the dialogue. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

For anyone looking for storytelling that takes its characters seriously, Waiting for Anya delivers. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Noah Schnapp is the centre of it, and it is one of their strongest performances on record. The patience it asks of you early on is paid back with interest.

Waiting for Anya was released in 2020, directed by Ben Cookson. The full 109-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.