After having seen a lot of films based on/during the time of World War 2 I was looking forward to seeing a film that’s about the heart and soul of World War 1.

Journeys End tells the story of a British battalion going into the trenches in France during the First World War to attempt to gain land from the Germans. We meet the men of Captain Stanhope’s (Sam Claflin) troop as they prepare themselves for their designated 6 days in the trenches. Stanhope leads the group of men as a well respected captain with his co-captains as aid. During their second day in the trench Stanhope is called up by his superiors to send 10 of his men, plus two captains, on a raid to capture a German soldier for questioning. Whilst dealing with his own personal demons Stanhope makes the decision to send up Osborne (Paul Brittany) and Raleigh (Asa Butterfield) to lead the troop during the raid.

After a successful mission, despite the loss of Osborne, he comes to learn that on their 4th day in the trench they would be subject to an attack from the Germans, it is his duty now to prepare his men for such a challenge.

Their future is unlikely and Stanhope knows this from the start but with his strong intuition and bravery he leads his men into the battle.

The narrative of this film is slightly patchy in parts and is vague in terms of a clear beginning, middle and end. However, it is a strongly performance led film with standouts from Claflin and Butterfield (with a special shoutout for Toby Jones who plays the Baldrick-style army cook perfectly). A very realistic take on what life for those soldiers would have been like and a real eye opener.

A must see for any war film fans, be prepared for powerful sound effects and highly tense moments.