The fate of the free world hangs in the balance as Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and Capt. James Stagg face an impossible choice -- launch the D-Day invasion or risk losing World War II altogether.
Director: Anthony Maras
Cast: Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon, Chris Messina, Damian Lewis
Release Date: May 29, 2026
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller, War
Rated PG-13 for war violence, bloody images, some strong language, and smoking
Runtime: 1h 40m
Review:
Pressure is an earnest exploration of the logistical challenges rarely talked about in the lead up to the D-Day invasion in the form of a well-acted potboiler powered by strong performances from its cast. There has been a myriad of films about World War 2 by this point with most of them focusing on the battlefield which makes this exploration of the logistical planning all the more intriguing. Director Anthony Maras uses that aspect to his benefit as he sets up the collection of characters working together and occasionally against each other as they try to execute something that’s never been done before. The outcome is the stuff of history book, but Mara still manages to create a tangible sense of tension primarily based off the internal conflicts of the large personalities in the mix played deftly by a strong collection of performers. Andrew Scott leads the way as the stoic and self-assured Scottish meteorologist James Stagg who is steadfast in his knowledge and convictions. Scott delivers a laser focused performance that allows the character’s intellect and somewhat abrasive nature come through while allowing for quieter moments of self-doubt and agony especially when it comes to his pregnant wife. Brendan Fraser is just as solid as Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, who is a big, bombastic personality but with added layers that reflect how deeply he feels his failures and his desire to prove himself worthy of his position. It’s a fascinating juxtaposition especially when he’s challenged by Damian Lewis’s much more experienced British commander Bernard “Monty” Montgomery. Lewis brings an overbearing sense of self confidence even though he’s been relegated under Fraser’s less experienced Eisenhower with their interplay making for some of the film’s more fascinating moments, something the script should have taken more advantage of. Less interesting is a similar adversarial relationship between Scott’s Stagg and his American counterpart Irving P. Krick played by Chris Messina. Their relationships play out in a predicable nature of dislike which grows into earned respect that isn’t fleshed out the way it should be. Kerry Condon is the film’s lifeblood and the connective tissue that traverses the myriads of personality Eisenhower’s steadfast secretary Kay Summersby had to deal with. There’s little doubt that there’s a hefty amount of dramatization of the actual events but it’s done in such a manner that it’s probably the most engaging film about weather reports you’ll see and makes Pressure a perfect lead up into a film like Saving Private Ryan.
B+
