1917 Review: 9 Ups & 1 Down

5. The STUNNING Action Sequences

1917 is actually a lot less action-packed than you might think: the trailers focus a lot on the bone-shaking spectacle, but the set-pieces are actually relatively brief for the most part, scattered liberally among a multitude of more quiet moments.

But the scenes themselves are nothing short of stunning, be it a showdown in the aftermath of a plane crash, a desperate chase through a ruined village, or Schofield's goosebump-inducing run across the trenches.

It's all intensely memorable and beautifully executed, never forgetting the abject horror of war even as it's depicted by such technically astonishing means.

As reliant on Roger Deakins' creative photography as its smartly deployed visual effects, 1917 provides a welcome antidote to monotonous shootouts and excessively CGI-soaked mayhem.