The ‘masterpiece’ film has a near-perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes (Image: Dumfries And Galloway Standard/Entertainment One)
A British war thriller that’s currently available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer is being hailed as a ‘genuinely breathtaking masterpiece’ — and fans are utterly obsessed.
The edge-of-your-seat war drama stars the who’s who of the British entertainment industry and fans have declared the film is ‘superb in every way’. It has impressed audiences to the extent that some viewers have dubbed it ‘one of the greatest war movies of the 21st Century’.
The 2015 British war drama thriller Eye in the Sky has got people hooked even all these years after its release, with viewers saying it’s ‘one of those movies that you want to keep talking about long after it’s over’.
Starring Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman in the lead accompanied by Aaron Paul, Barkhad Abdi, Jeremy Northam, Michael O’Keefe, Phoebe Fox and Iain Glen in supporting roles, the film is loaded to the brim with talented actors.
The film released on April 15, 2016, in the UK, and is touted as the last live-action film to feature Alan Rickman, who passed away on January 14 that same year. It was dedicated to his memory.
The edge-of-your-seat war thriller has audiences completely hooked (Image: Entertainment One)
Directed by Gavin Hood with a screenplay by Guy Hibbert, Eye in the Sky explores the ethical and moral challenges of drone warfare in taut and tension-filled scenarios.
The war drama’s official plot states: “Col. Katherine Powell, a military officer in command of an operation to capture terrorists in Kenya, sees her mission escalate when a girl enters the kill zone, triggering an international dispute over the implications of modern warfare.”
Eye in the Sky was filmed in South Africa — film director Hood’s home country. The war film grossed $32.8 million at the worldwide box office against a production budget of $13 million and has received glowing reviews from audiences and critics alike.
With a near-perfect 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, critics can’t get enough of the British modern warfare drama, as one calls it: “A provocatively tense thriller that negotiates the moral minefields of its thorny subject matter in crowd-pleasing fashion.”
Another critic said of the film: “Director Gavin Hood has achieved something few could – he made what is essentially 100 minutes of people standing in rooms and staring at screens incredibly compelling. It’s a master class in suspense.”
While one reviewer writes: “Eye in the Sky maintains nerve-racking suspense throughout its running time and explicates some of the unknown nuances of drone warfare. Plus, you know, Alan Rickman is reason enough to see it.”
It’s been called ‘one of the greatest war films of the 21st Century’ (Image: Raindog Films)
Audiences are equally smitten, with one user posting on IMDB: “One of the greatest war movies of the 21st Century. This movie is extremely well made, and it truly shows how traumatizing it is to pull the trigger.
“It’s a movie that has you wondering what was truly the right thing to do, and it was so intense that it’s advised to get up and take a minute to breathe. The writing is also well done, with some lines sticking with you for months. Alan Rickman and Helen Mirren give incredible performances in this standout movie.”
An audience review on Rotten Tomatoes says: “This was such an engaging and intense film that kept you on the edge. It had a great storyline and cast. It’s definitely worth the watch.”
While one fan added: “Is there anything better than having Academy Award winner Helen Mirren and the late Alan Rickman in a movie together? They are front and center in a story about drones, war, decisions and heartache.
“This adult movie succeeds in spades in being a drama, a meditation on the mental and physical perils of war and the introduction of drones into our society. Easily one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. It should give the compassionate viewer much to think about.”
Another IMDB review reads: “A stunning movie in every way, and highly recommended. Surely one of the best I’ve seen this year. It is superb in every way: the writing, the acting, the directing, the producing, the camera work, etc. I highly recommend the movie to everyone.”
While one viewer simply said: “This is one of those movies that you want to keep talking about long after it is over.”
Eye in the Sky is available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer.
