One of, if not the best Nolan films yet

Rating: 10/10 (21 July 2017)

Dunkirk is more than a simple summer blockbuster. It is a thriller with masterful directing, execution, and music. It is a work of art.
Let's start with the practical effects. There isn't any CGI used in the film. All the planes, boats, and explosions are real. It adds to the authenticity. Hearing the Stukas as they bombed the troops on the beach was terrifying and made you wonder what exactly it felt like to be on the beaches of Dunkirk in May 1940. The spitfires and ME109 German fighters were amazing too.
The Stukas are never seen from an aerial view as well, just from ground, really selling the dread and fear people felt when they heard its infamous whine as it swooped down. That was captured perfectly in this movie. The aerial combat looks very good, and is done with real planes. It is amazing.
There isn't a lot of dialogue in this film and there isn't a central character to develop. That may be a bad thing to some, but I don't mind it. It is telling the story of the battle rather than a person's story during the battle, and I like that.
All three phases of the battle, air, seas, and land are shown and three different groups of characters are portrayed. It does a great job jumping from phase to phase.
This movie looks incredible. The sets are all practical, the explosions are real, and the performances are great.
Hans Zimmer made a great score that builds intensity, adding a ticking clock to the pieces to build suspense. This movie is suspenseful and a thriller meant to show the terrors of war, rather than the horrors (not the same thing). Every moment had me on the edge of my seat. It was intense.
The film is only one hour and forty seven minutes, which is quite short for a Nolan film, but it feels longer because of the constant action and suspense.
Dunkirk should be considered for movie of the year. It is one of Nolan's best films. He can do no wrong it seems.
10/10