A tense battle of egos (and weather reports) fuels the effective dad thriller Pressure

Who knew watching weather balloons flying up around the English coast could be so exhilarating? Under Maras’ direction and his script with David Haig, Pressure is a surprisingly effective war thriller, full of the hallmarks of the genre with a palpable time crunch. With a propulsive score by Volker Bertelmann that incorporates what sounds like the deconstructed chimes of a clock, time feels as if it’s moving faster and faster as the deadline approaches. This sensation is heightened by Maras’ editing, stitching together scenes from the drama on the homefront, close-ups of young soldiers heading to battle, and colorized war footage in quick succession. While D-Day plays out on the shore, the suspense continues in England as many of the rank and file look at each other nervously, unsure if they made the right call to launch the attack, capturing the panic both in the battle and back at base. 

Haig, who previously wrote the play and screen adaption for his World War I drama My Boy Jack, adapts his stage play for Pressure into an economical screenplay that’s sharp and precise. In Pressure, the battle for D-Day is fought before the first boat hits the beach. The battle is one for science and the ability to make the final call. Each man wrestles for control with their motivations laid bare: Stagg knows he has data on his side, and must defend its validity or risk sending thousands to their doom; the cocky American Krick has his tried-and-true method, and refuses to be shown up by Stagg; Montgomery fears the Germans may be onto the plan, and wants to hurry the invasion before the Nazis can prepare for it; and Eisenhower, fresh off a haunting training operation gone horribly wrong, wants to avoid anymore senseless loss. The stakes are high, the players well-matched, and each ego clashes with desperation. 

Embodying these forces is the film’s stellar ensemble, led by a resolute Andrew Scott as the stiff-lipped Stagg. At the height of stress between Stagg, Krick, and Eisenhower, there’s a close-up of Scott’s face as his character receives personally devastating news that focuses all the concentration of the moment into his face—how he’s holding back tears, keeping calm and carrying on for the sake of the mission. It’s an extraordinary feat as impressive as any of the emotional screaming matches throughout the film. Scott’s carefully crafted performance raises everyone’s game. Messina is the perfect foil for Scott’s concentrated, mild-mannered character, playing an overconfident extrovert unwilling to back down until the scientific results are staring back at him. As Eisenhower, Fraser doesn’t disappear into the role, but he digs deep into the general’s state of mind, plagued by recent failure and propelled by the need to exert his command over men like Montgomery, whom Lewis plays like a smooth operator, undermining both Stagg and Eisenhower to rush the operation as quickly as he can manifest it. Weathering the storm of male egos, Kerry Condon reasons with each man to work together as Kay, Eisenhower’s Girl Friday who has her work cut out for her. 

Taking into account these favorable conditions, Pressure makes a pretty satisfying historical thriller out of an intimate battle between a few men. Buoyed by Maras and Haig’s strong, lean script, Pressure is a great “dad movie” that isn’t just for dads. It’s a look at how weather had a role in the history books, and how information prevailed over bloodlust and wrongheaded precedents. In this political era, it’s nice to see cooler, science-minded heads prevail.

Director: Anthony Maras
Writer: David Haig, Anthony Maras
Starring: Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon, Chris Messina, Damian Lewis
Release Date: May 29, 2026