Many movies have covered the D-Day landings on 6th June 1944, most notably The Longest Day and Saving Private Ryan. Yet we have never had a movie about the seaborne invasion told from a weatherman’s point of view until now. Pressure is the true story of how General Dwight D. Eisenhower made the decision of whether the attack would happen with a British meteorologist, which was not only about getting it right but also about not leading the soldiers into a storm that could risk the war altogether. The result is an incredibly tense, powerful drama that grips from the start and never lets go.

Captain James Stagg has been called in by Dwight D. Eisenhower to give a prediction of the weather so he can decide whether the largest seaborne landing would work, after a disastrous test run. Having his own meteorologist aboard, Captain Krick, who uses past charts to predict the weather, Stagg uses data coming in from around the world. As the event approaches, Stagg is almost certain a major storm is coming, but will anyone believe him?

Based on the play by David Haig, who co-wrote the script with director Anthony Maras, this follows the true events of the 72 hours leading up to the landing. As with most stories based on true events, it takes some liberties with the truth, and some things don’t follow the same timeline, but that is for dramatic effect. If you have an issue with that, this film may not be for you. However, if you don’t know anything about what happened and you want to be fully entertained, this does the trick brilliantly.

Maras uses stock footage of the ships during the events, colourised to look like they are part of the film. Obviously he doesn’t have the budget Christopher Nolan had for Dunkirk, but these moments work well and never jar enough to notice. What Maras does do well is give that feeling that everyone’s job is on the line if they get this wrong. The scenes in the offices of a commandeered stately home are either bustling with activity or silent when things get too much.

The title works in two ways: the pressure on the meteorologists to get this right, and the pressure within the weather itself. Yet Stagg feels it worse than anyone. Recommended by Churchill, he comes in like an arrogant bull, upsetting everyone with his stiff-upper-lip ways, and yet this is a man who has been sent to do an almost impossible thing: predict the weather. Something that has never been done. In the process, he upsets his American counterpart, Klick, who boasts of his expertise using past weather maps, and Eisenhower, who needs a precise answer.

The tension and pressure build right up to the final act, when we learn what will happen and whether Stagg’s prediction comes true. For a film to deal with past events and have this much tension is a compliment to the directing, the writing, and, most importantly, the performances, which, in some cases, are exceptional.

Taking on the larger-than-life General, Brendan Fraser gets his chance to chew at the scenery while also bringing the bravado down for some impressively tense showdowns between himself and Stagg. Damian Lewis also showboats as Montgomery, who wants this whole event to happen, regardless of the weather.

Yet it is the brilliant Andrew Scott and Kerry Condor who really make this movie. As Stagg, Scott commands the screen, playing the whole thing with such control. His silence speaks volumes here. One scene, when he receives shocking news and is being lambasted by Ike, is possibly one of the greatest scenes of screen acting in many a year. You can tell in his whole stillness just how he is feeling, and it will send shivers up your spine. Equally good is Kerry Condor, who won an Oscar nomination for her performance in The Banshees of Inisherin. Here she plays Kay Summersby, Ike’s personal assistant, and she sees everything with the same stillness, even though she knows exactly what each key player is dealing with. Both these performances are worth the admission alone.

Pressure is, quite simply, superb. A story I knew nothing about, and yet for the whole of the running time, it was gripping. Any film that can make the weather this exciting is certainly a winner in my books.

5 out of 5

Director: Anthony Maras

Starring: Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condor, Damian Lewis, Chris Messina, Tasmin Topolski, Jojo Macari, Con O’Neill, Robert Portal, Alexander Hanson, Joshua Hill, Toby Williams

Written by: Anthony Maras and (also based on the stage play) David Haig

Running Time: 100 mins

Cert: 12A

Release date: 9th September 2026