Overview
A young soldier's fight for survival in a war-torn city turns into a harrowing nightmare.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- gritty
- paranoid
- propulsive
- intense thriller night
- political cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a gripping, powerfully directed and acted political thriller that combines physical intensity, emotional authenticity, and historical acuity.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film’s hard-nosed realism and kinetic urban camerawork create the feeling of witnessing the Belfast conflict from ground level.
Gary Hook is separated from his unit and cannot reliably distinguish friend from foe amid competing paramilitary and military forces.
Hook spends the night alone and pursued through Belfast after being abandoned during a riot.
The story presents British soldiers, republican forces, loyalists, and civilians within a morally unstable Northern Irish landscape.
Films like '71, and why
The Hurt Locker
Shares gritty political thriller tension, urban instability, and grounded depictions of armed conflict.
Waltz with Bashir
Combines quasi-documentary realism, moral confusion, and an isolated soldier navigating a hostile combat environment.
Argo
Features propulsive survival thriller mechanics shaped by political violence and distrust between factions.
Bloody Sunday
Connects intimate human vulnerability with historically grounded urban conflict and relentless suspense.
Movie Details
- Director
- Yann Demange
- Release Date
- 2014-10-10
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (1253)
Cast
- Jack O'Connell
- Sean Harris
- Paul Anderson
- Sam Reid
- Sam Hazeldine
- Barry Keoghan
- Charlie Murphy
- Richard Dormer
- Killian Scott
- Babou Ceesay
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Starz Apple TV channel, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is '71 about?
- An abandoned British recruit races through riot-torn Belfast, where survival depends on navigating a maze of armed factions and uncertain loyalties.
- What is '71 like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of '71 as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is '71 violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in '71 as graphic.
- What did critics think of '71?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a gripping, powerfully directed and acted political thriller that combines physical intensity, emotional authenticity, and historical acuity.
- Which films are like '71?
- Films with a similar feel include The Hurt Locker, Waltz with Bashir, Argo, and Bloody Sunday.
- How long is '71?
- '71 runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch '71?
- In United States, '71 streams on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Starz Apple TV channel, Howdy Amazon Channel.
