1917

On the Western Front, British soldiers Will Schofield and Tom Blake receive orders to cross abandoned trenches and enemy-held land. They must deliver a message canceling an attack before Blake's brother and roughly sixteen hundred troops enter a German trap.

Roger Deakins's long takes and concealed transitions keep distance and obstacles measurable, while trenches, ruins, fields, water, and changing light give the mission distinct physical chapters—the technique serves urgency rather than merely displaying virtuosity.