'71 (2014)

Drama, Thriller, Action

Director: Yann Demange
Writer: Gregory Burke
Starring: Jack O'Connell, Paul Popplewell, Jack Lowden, Adam Nagaitis

"Escape from Northern Ireland"

Jack O'Connell (Starred Up) plays a young English soldier who gets accidentally left behind in the middle of a street riot in Belfast, during the Northern Ireland Conflicts in 1971. The film follows him struggling to survive the night and trying to get back to his base, as he finds himself alone "behind enemy lines," hunted by soldiers, various locals and plainclothes intelligence officers.

Swift and exciting, with no taste for the usual war movie heroics, first-time feature film director Yann Demange's film belongs on a short list of immersive, rattling, authentic fictions right next door to the fact of survival inside a war zone. And O'Connell's performance is a terrific one. He manages to create a viscerally honest film experience that speaks more through action and emotion than words.

Plot summary from IMDb: A young British soldier is accidentally abandoned by his unit following a terrifying riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971. Unable to tell friend from foe, the raw recruit must survive the night alone and find his way to safety through a disorienting, alien and deadly landscape.

Awards: Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 11 wins & 22 nominations.
Runtime: 99 min
R