Pressure

Watching a group of people be competent at their job is often the satisfying draw of the ‘office-based thriller/drama’ film.

So many films require someone to blunder or things to go wrong that it can be pleasing to watch things work out every once in a while.

Pressure is certainly high on the competency factor as we are shown the quite fascinating story of the Allied meteorologists during World War 2, tasked with predicting the conditions for D-Day.

Sure, it may be a niche topic filled with chat about jet streams, looking at weather maps and correcting people on the correct use of the term ‘hurricane’ but this is told in sharp, well-edited and scored style and makes for a great little history lesson.

Adapted from a stage play, the script is efficient and immaculately performed with particular praise for Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser and Kerry Condon.

The score keeps us gripped and the film even has a brutal and hard-hitting climactic combat scene which provides some stark war scenes to go alongside the offices and war room chat.

Although opening and closing title cards give the story more context, there’s an argument that a little more detail on a few points wouldn’t have gone amiss but this is efficient, gripping and interesting stuff brought to life with the requisite detail and skill it needs.

A super solid WWII film depicting a side of the conflict that might at first glance seem trivial but was actually incredibly important.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️