Astonishing. An unbelievable masterpiece.

Rating: 10/10 (13 January 2020)

One of the most unbelievable, jaw-dropping, gut-wrenching, beautiful films I have ever seen. A film that is an experience, a film that sweeps you through an absolutely brutal, yet beautiful journey. Sam Mendes's screenplay (co-written with Krysty Wilson-Cairns) is absolutely terrific, matched by his brilliant direction. The acting is top-notch; George MacKay (Schofield), Dean-Charles Chapman (Blake), and every single member of this incredible cast play their roles to perfection. The cinematography is astonishing and unbelievable; the entire film is two shots. (Not one, but two; at one point the film cuts to black). Two. Shots. Let that sink in. What Mendes and Roger Deakins have done here is absolutely astonishing. You feel as if you are pulled into the trenches with Blake and Schofield; in No-Man's-Land and German territory alongside them. Thomas Newman's score is beautiful, along with the incredible editing of Lee Smith. This is an absolutely glorious masterpiece, and not only the best film of 2019, but one for the ages.