1917
2019 · Sam Mendes · 119 min · War / Drama
1917 is a staggering feat of filmmaking that drops you into a desperate mission across no man's land and refuses to let you look away. Roger Deakins' cinematography alone justifies the price of admission, and Sam Mendes wrings real tension from what is essentially a simple delivery run. The characters are thinner than the film's ambitions deserve, and the one-take approach occasionally calls more attention to itself than to the story it's telling. Those are meaningful limitations. But the sheer craft on display, and the moments where technique and emotion fully connect, make this one of the most gripping war films in recent memory.