Uploaded February 2020 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago

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1917 is genuinely one of the greatest films I've ever seen.
This video includes SPOILERS for the entire film, so if you haven't seen it, please turn off this video, get yourself to the nearest cinema, and watch this masterpiece because I would not want to spoil the journey for anyone.

If you'd like to read on, here is my spoiler-free review of 1917.

So this movie gave me two of the greatest gifts a film can give:
1. An awe-inspiring viewing experience
2. A new favorite actor

First, the viewing experience. I knew that this film was a one-shot film. I knew the general premise. I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. I thought it was going to be an enjoyable film, maybe even a great one.
But I had no idea what I was really walking into.
Once in a while, I'll see a film that completely interrupts my thoughts, that takes over my senses, that glues me to the screen. It's even rarer that I find a film that binds me to the characters so intensely. This movie was visceral, spell-binding, and more than that, it was an emotional journey of the most powerful kind.
Not only because of the striking cinematography, the tension, the perfect pacing, the blast of bullets and swell of the score, but because of the characters. Within the first five minutes, watching Blake learn about the danger his brother was facing, I attached to him in a way I don't often do with movie characters. I could feel Blake's stress, his urgency, his love for his brother, and I'd only just learned his name.
But as attached as I felt to Blake, it had nothing on my attachment to Schofield. Which brings me to the second thing this movie gave me.

George MacKay's performance as Schofield is one of the most beautiful, heart-wrenching performances I've ever seen. My gosh did I love Schofield. I connected with him so strongly. I knew his thoughts, feelings, felt his resilience, his almost manic need to press on. I didn't need to know his first name or where he was from or what his past was like, I simply knew him exactly as I was meant to. Not only was the writing incredible but George MacKay was Schofield through and through. I'd never seen this actor before but I knew I was witnessing something very special (and in my opinion, a performance deserving of an Oscar for Best Actor or at least a nomination, but that's a rant for another day.)
Little did I know that George MacKay is no beginner. He's a brilliant young actor with an incredible history of films. While 1917 is his best, it wasn't until I dove into his old works that I realized I'd found my favorite actor. For Those in Peril. Where Hands Touch. Marrowbone. These are just a few of his excellent films. He has incredible range, he portrays his emotions as loudly or as quietly as he needs, he can do any accent (no really) and he's just so incredibly fun to watch. No matter what he stars in, I can connect to his characters on an emotional level. He's always different, always unexpected. And no two characters of his are the same.

Going back to the film, I can't stress enough how much this film affected me. It was almost perfect. And I don't say that lightly. Everything was so seamless. The sound, the realistic sets and costumes, the story, the pacing, the Roger Deakins cinematography, the acting. You forget you're watching a movie the moment it begins.
If there is such a thing as a perfect movie I'm pretty sure it's 1917.

I'm grateful to 1917 for giving me an unforgettable experience and a favorite actor to continue watching from here on out. This has been one of the best movie experiences I've had in years. And it will be a long time before anything tops it.

Video Info:
Song: Weights & Measures
Artist: Dry the River
Footage: 1917
Program Used: Sony Vegas Pro 13

And schofield ejecting his empty bullet cases is one of the most satisfying sounds in the world.