'71 (2014)

'71 is a lean, brutal night‑long thriller set in the winter of 1971, when a raw British recruit, Private Gary Hook, is accidentally left behind during a riot on the streets of Belfast. Separated from his unit, disoriented and out of uniform, Hook must navigate hostile, maze‑like neighborhoods where friend and foe are indistinguishable and every alley can become a kill zone. Watching the film is an immersive, claustrophobic experience: handheld camerawork, tight framing and an urgent pace put you right beside Hook as he scrambles for safety. The movie trades exposition for immediacy—what you feel is fear, confusion and the adrenaline of being hunted—while also exposing the sullen, atomized human consequences of The Troubles. Encounters with civilians, IRA members and local police are charged with moral ambiguity; characters who seem helpful can have their own motives, and small acts of mercy or cruelty carry high stakes. Tonally, the film is gritty and unforgiving rather than heroic—violent, terse and emotionally raw. The lead performance anchors the story, and the direction emphasizes realism over spectacle: grim streets, sudden bursts of violence, and a chilling soundscape all reinforce the sense of peril. The narrative is both a survival tale and a portrait of a society split by fear and suspicion. Viewers can expect a tense, edge‑of‑your‑seat ride that leaves a lingering, unsettling impression. It’s not a warm or consoling film—it’s designed to make you feel the disorientation and moral complexity of being caught in a conflict where ordinary people are propelled into life‑and‑death choices.

Actors: Jack O'Connell, Sam Reid, Sean Harris

Director: Yann Demange

Runtime: 99 min

Genres: Action, Crime, Drama

83 /100 7.2 /10 7.8 /10