The Bombardment, also known as The Shadow in My Eye and Skyggen i mit øje, is a 2021 Danish-language war film written and directed by Ole Bornedal.
The ‘brilliant’ war drama has absolutely ‘wrecked’ viewers, as it centres around Operation Carthage — an air raid carried out by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in Copenhagen during the Second World War — during which a school full of children was wrongly misidentified as a target and bombed.
The movie’s official plot states: “The fates of several Copenhagen residents collide when a WWII bombing mission accidentally targets a school full of children.”
The Bombardment stars Alex Høgh Andersen, Fanny Bornedal, Ella Josephine Lund Nilsson, Ester Birch, Danica Ćurčić, Susse Wold, Bertram Bisgaard Enevoldsen, Malena Lucia Lodahl, Alban Lendorf, Caspar Phillipson, and Patricia Schumann alongside a larger ensemble cast.
With a perfect 100% score on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, the film dropped on Netflix in March 2022 and has since received glowing acclaim from both critics and viewers.
One critic called the war drama: “Haunting and visceral, Ole Bornedal’s beautifully shot film stays in your mind well after it’s over.”
While another reviewer said: “If you think you can handle the confronting subject matter, this is thoughtfully made and worth a watch.”
One critic’s review reads: “The Bombardment is an emotional drama with depressing moments and there are many scenes involving violence and injustice, so it isn’t a movie for the faint of heart. But it remains an important story and unapologetic portrayal of the brutality of war.”
Audiences have been left equally captivated, as one fan writes: “Excellent. I thought this film was going to be a slow burn, but I was completely wrong. From story line to the acting, everything about this movie blew me away.”
They added: “Such a tragic tale and the producers, directors, cast, made u feel like u were in the middle of it all. It’s a heartbreaking, true story and you’ll realize how much the innocent suffer during times of war. Don’t miss this one!!”
Another audience review syas: “Amazing Movie. I was transfixed from start to finish. Best movie I have seen in some time. The children and adult characters are Interesting. The story is beyond moving. Some scenes definitely not for the faint of heart. I don’t give many movies a ten, I don’t think I have ever seen anything quite like this. Simply brilliant.””
While one fan said: “This movie wrecked me. This is one of the best war movies I have ever seen. This is a masterpiece in storytelling. It makes you connect with the characters emotionally. I loved how they portrayed the children. I laughed with them and I cried with them. By the end of the movie I was an emotional mess, I was literally sobbing.”
The Bombardment is available to stream on Netflix.
