Multi-award-winning director Nicholas Winter (Breathe, The Treehouse) writes and helms War Blade, an explosive and thrilling new World War II action-adventure feature that is out now from 101 Films.
“Banks, an agent of the British SOE, is tasked with rescuing a French resistance fighter from a hidden Nazi bunker. With the help of a German Nurse and a ragtag group of allies, Banks must journey to the belly of the beast. With his commanders already suspecting the bunker to hold much more than prisoners and a group full of fragile personalities to deal with, Banks faces dangers from all fronts.”
When I get asked to do a review and then get given the title, I can’t help but make assumptions about what the film is likely to be. More often than not I’m either mostly right, or at least very close……this time I was not. For some reason, I had in my head that this was going to be a fantasy/sword and sorcery flick. I could not have been more wrong, and it was a nice surprise. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a decent independent World War 2 movie. Sadly, they tend to be overblown messes, but I am grateful that this has seemed to buck that trend.
This is a type of tale that has been told a million times…. Spies try and access a bunker to ostensibly rescue an imprisoned comrade, but the mission is really about secrets/weapons. War Blade tells this tale reasonably well without coming across as cheesy, or self-important, and that helps it. Other versions of this story have been done better, and probably with bigger budgets, but that doesn’t detract from what is a decent film. It looks like a lower-budget film for sure, but given the nature of the story, I don’t really feel like that’s a huge negative.
The cast features multiple people who I looked at and knew from somewhere. I honestly googled the cast and looked at their filmographies surprised at how many films or shows I recognized them from. The lead character, Banks, is played by Joseph Milson and his was a face I recognized instantly. The thing I like about a cast like this is that there are no major expectations of excellence because they are virtual unknowns. This allows for the film to be watched for what it is and not the ‘quality’ star power you might have come to expect from more recognizable faces.
Is this a star-making film that will go down in the annals of film history as one of the greatest World War 2 spy movies ever made? No, it really isn’t…but that’s absolutely fine. If every film was a groundbreaking blockbuster with a-list casts and budgets in the 100s of millions then after a very short time going to the cinema would become such an unbearable chore. The world of movies, and entertainment in general, needs smaller independent stories to be told. Sometimes you just want to kick back and watch a movie that was made with care and attention, whether you think it was made well or not.
Overall War Blade is the kind of film you can easily watch without too much effort. It’s a solidly acted, decently directed movie that I have honestly quite enjoyed watching. If you like WORLD WAR 2 spy films and can appreciate an independent, low-budget, movie for what it really is then you should enjoy this. All I’ll say is if you get the chance check it out and make your mind up.
For me it’s getting a 3.5/5, and a more than solid shout at watching it again.
A German Nurse and a ragtag group of allies
Movie title: War Blade (2024)
Movie description: When a German nurse who has escaped the bunker ends up in British hands Banks enlists her help, along with a ragtag group of allies, to join him on a dangerous mission that will take them deep into the belly of the beast.
Date published: February 26, 2024
Country: UK
Director(s): Nicholas Winter
Actor(s): Joseph Millson, Ronan Summers, Michael McKell
Genre: War
