The War Below is a 2021 British war film directed by J.P. Watts, in his directorial debut,[1] and written by Watts and Thomas Woods.[2][3] It was released in the United Kingdom on 10 September 2021. The film is also distributed in Germany, France, Greece, Australia, the Middle East, South Korea and Japan.[4]
| The War Below | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | J.P. Watts |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Nick Cooke |
| Music by | Anne Kulonen |
Production company | Vital Pictures |
| Distributed by | Vital Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 96 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £500,000[1] |
Plot
editBased on a true story, the film is about a group of British miners (known as "Claykickers" or “Manchester Moles”) recruited during World War I to tunnel underneath no man's land and place mines below the German front for the Battle of Messines in 1917. 10,000 German soldiers were killed instantly after the detonation of explosives beneath their lines.[4][5][6]
Cast
edit- Sam Hazeldine as William Hawkin
- Tom Goodman-Hill as Hellfire Jack
- Kris Hitchen as Harold Stockford
- Elliot James Langridge as George MacDonald
- Sam Clemmett as Charlie MacDonald
- Joseph Steyne as Shorty
- Sonny Ashbourne Serkis as Henry
- Anna Maguire as Jane Hawkin
- Andrew Scarborough as Colonel Fielding
- Douglas Reith as Field Marshal Lord Haig
- Jake Wheeldon as Cpt. Leonard Graves
Release and reviews
editThe War Below was released in theaters and digital platforms in the United Kingdom on September 10, 2021.[7] It was released on streaming services in the United States on November 11, 2021.[1]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, The War Below holds an approval rating of 88% based on 8 reviews.[8] Writing in The Sunday Times, Kevin Maher awarded the film 3 out of 5 stars and stated it is "a fascinating Great War side story and a gritty central turn from Sam Hazeldine..."[9] Writing in The Guardian, Phil Hoad described the film as having "an innately fascinating story, even if the underpinning is of unsound construction in places.”[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c "J.P. Watts Interview: The War Below". screenrant.com. 4 October 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
- ^ "The War Below review". 10 September 2021.
- ^ a b Hoad, Phil (8 September 2021). "The War Below review – plucky shot at telling amazing story of wartime tunnellers". TheGuardian.com.
- ^ a b "Fact-Based WWI Story 'The War Below' Lands at Vital Pictures (Exclusive)TheWrap". 6 January 2021.
- ^ "Earnest shoestring epic lacks spectacle". thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
- ^ "Sam Hazeldine faces fears to go deep for The War Below". kget.com. 10 November 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
- ^ "Trailer for First World War drama The War Below starring Sam Hazeldine". flickeringmyth.com. 21 August 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
- ^ "The War Below". rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- ^ "The War Below - earnest shoestring epic lacks spectacle". thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved December 14, 2021.