A powerful and cracking thriller, '71 tells the story of British soldier Gary (Jack O'Connell) who is sent to Belfast in 1971 in the very early years of the Troubles. Following a street protest that gets out of control, Gary is left on the streets as the platoon retreats back to base and he has to survive the night.
Director Yann Demange keeps you on the edge of your seat, as you never know what's around the corner for Gary. Pursued by a gang and ruthless Captain Sandy Browning (Sean Harris, on form as always), the odds are stacked against him but there are also those who wish to help, endangering their own lives in the process.
It's brutal, and the action never stops. O'Connell proves why he's one of the most exciting actors on the rise, and there's some great supporting turns from Paul Anderson - aka Arthur from Peaky Blinders - as corrupt Sergeant Lewis and Richard Dormer as the compassionate Eamon. Once again though, Harris is utterly chilling as one of the main villains of the piece; if O'Connell's an up and coming star, Harris is one of the finest British actors we have.
Like The Warriors or Escape from New York, if Gary survives the night is a captivating watch.
4/5 banging dustbin lids
A powerful and cracking thriller, '71 tells the story of British soldier Gary (Jack O'Connell) who is sent to Belfast in 1971 in the very early years of the Troubles. Following a street protest that gets out of control, Gary is left on the streets as the platoon retreats back to base and he has to survive the night.
Director Yann Demange keeps you on the edge of your seat, as you never know what's around the corner for Gary. Pursued by a gang and ruthless Captain Sandy Browning (Sean Harris, on form as always), the odds are stacked against him but there are also those who wish to help, endangering their own lives in the process.
It's brutal, and the action never stops. O'Connell proves why he's one of the most exciting actors on the rise, and there's some great supporting turns from Paul Anderson - aka Arthur from Peaky Blinders - as corrupt Sergeant Lewis and Richard Dormer as the compassionate Eamon. Once again though, Harris is utterly chilling as one of the main villains of the piece; if O'Connell's an up and coming star, Harris is one of the finest British actors we have.
Like The Warriors or Escape from New York, if Gary survives the night is a captivating watch.
4/5 banging dustbin lids
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