“’71” shows the horrifying nature of the ‘Irish Troubles’. It’s an intense film that keeps you on the edge of your seat; it’s well-made and very believable. To describe it, I would say that I think “’71” is sort-of like the ‘Irish Troubles’ equivalent of “Lone Survivor” or “Behind Enemy Lines”.

In “’71”, a young British soldier named Gary Hook (Jack O’Connell “Starred Up”) is sent to Northern Ireland during the height of the ‘Irish Troubles’. During an operation to seize I.R.A. weapons, he finds himself separated from his fellow troops and must try to survive the gauntlet of Irish paramilitaries.

Jack O’Connell is okay as Hook. He isn’t given much to say but he manages to perfectly convey a sense of fear and a sense of isolation via his body language. We want to see this guy survive; we want to see this guy get home safely. His fellow soldiers get little screen time so I can’t comment on them that much. The Irish paramilitary men come across as very disturbing; the various cast members do a good job of showcasing how cruel these men were and the lengths they went to in order to reach their objectives. Some of the other characters are okay as well.

“’71” thrills us with its intensity; every moment is a struggle for survival. The film isn’t perfect and I felt that something such as “Lone Survivor” was a little bit better done (not much though) but it is far superior to “Behind Enemy Lines”. Why can’t we have more of these intense war movies? Why do we have so many dud romantic comedy and some many teen slasher pictures? Movies such as “’71” show how exhilarating war films can be. If you want a serious and entertaining thriller or you want to learn something about the conflict in Northern Ireland then “’71” is a movie for you.