The 2015 British war thriller Eye in the Sky, currently available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer, is being hailed as a 'genuinely breathtaking masterpiece' by viewers. The film, which features a cast including Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman, has been described as 'superb in every way' and has been labelled 'one of the greatest war movies of the 21st Century'.
Cast and Release Details
Released on April 15, 2016, in the UK, the film boasts an ensemble cast including Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman in lead roles, alongside Aaron Paul, Barkhad Abdi, Jeremy Northam, Michael O'Keefe, Phoebe Fox and Iain Glen. It is widely regarded as the final live-action feature to include Alan Rickman, who passed away on January 14 that same year. The film was dedicated to his memory, according to the Express.
Plot and Critical Reception
Directed by Gavin Hood and written by Guy Hibbert, Eye in the Sky explores the ethical and moral dilemmas of drone warfare. The official plot states: 'Col. Katherine Powell, a military officer in command of an operation to capture terrorists in Kenya, sees her mission escalate when a girl enters the kill zone, triggering an international dispute over the implications of modern warfare.'
Filmed in South Africa, Hood's home country, the film grossed $32.8 million at the worldwide box office against a production budget of $13 million. It holds a near-perfect 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. One critic called it: 'A provocatively tense thriller that negotiates the moral minefields of its thorny subject matter in crowd-pleasing fashion.' Another said: 'Director Gavin Hood has achieved something few could - he made what is essentially 100 minutes of people standing in rooms and staring at screens incredibly compelling. It's a master class in suspense.'
Audience Reactions
Audiences have been equally captivated. One IMDB user wrote: 'One of the greatest war movies of the 21st Century. This movie is extremely well made, and it truly shows how traumatizing it is to pull the trigger.' Another review on Rotten Tomatoes stated: 'This was such an engaging and intense film that kept you on the edge. It had a great storyline and cast. It's definitely the worth watch.' One fan added: 'Is there anything better than having Academy Award winner Helen Mirren and the late Alan Rickman in a movie together? They are front and center in a story about drones, war, decisions and heartache.'
Another IMDB review read: 'A stunning movie in every way, and highly recommended. Surely one of the best I've seen this year. It is superb in every way: the writing, the acting, the directing, the producing, the camera work, etc. I highly recommend the movie to everyone.' One viewer simply said: 'This is one of those movies that you want to keep talking about long after it is over.'
Eye in the Sky is currently available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer.
