’71

This afternoon I watch a movie called ’71. It was released in the UK in 2014.

’71 was directed by Yann Demange and written by Gregory Burke. The lead, Gary Hook, was played by Jack O’Connell and also starred Sam Reid and Sean Harris.

The storyline of this movie follows Gary Hook a soldier who is accidentally stranded by his unit after a riot in Belfast. Now in unfamiliar territory and with the IRA sympathetic rioters looking to kill him, he must survive the night and make it back to his family. Not knowing who to trust encountering both allies and enemies throughout the night. Alone in hostile part of his own country, Cook must do anything he can to survive.

The movie begins with Gary Hook’s unit in training. The story progresses along quickly when they are assigned to duty in Belfast, which enough though it’s in the United Kingdom it has a large IRA and catholic presence. After spending some quality time with his son, Cook and his unit are shipped off to Northern Ireland. Upon arrival, the unit is sent out to aide in a search and seizure in a rough part of Belfast. They begin searching houses and looking for guns used by the IRA against British soldiers. The soldiers stand guard to hold back unhappy civilians. The situation gets more intense when a young man is beaten in the street by officers preforming the search. As the crowd starts throwing rocks and bricks at the soldiers, Lt. Armitage, played by Sam Reid, orders his unit not to fire. One of the officers is struck with a rock a goes down, a young boy grabs his gun and runs off. Cook chases him down in an attempt to get the gun back. Once separated from the unit a group of men begin beating him and a fellow soldier who came with him. A woman from the crowd helps to free the soldiers from the gang of rioters. Just then a young IRA gunman runs up and shoots Cook’s fellow soldier in the head. Cook runs immediately as the gunman takes aim on him. After avoiding the shooters, Cook finds himself in a unknown place with enemies everywhere. Not knowing who to trust Cook takes caution as he runs through the streets of Belfast and avoids rioters and IRA gunmen. Can Cook make it back to his barracks? Will he be found by the IRA before he is safe? Does Cook even survive the night?

I thought this was a good movie with a compelling story. During ’71, you worry for the safety of Cook and wonder with potential danger around any corner if he can survive. There are spurts of intense action sequences,  good run and gun, and suspenseful moments throughout. I enjoyed this film and was entertained throughout the whole hour and thirty-nine minutes. I give this film a four out of five stars. ’71 will not disappoint. The story tells about an intense time in the history of Northern Ireland, when fighting was still rampant through the streets of Belfast.

“This is going to hurt like a fucker.” – Eamon played by Richard Dormer

As always thank y’all for reading.

Email us at SnacksCinema@gmail.com

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @SnacksCinema