At the height of World War I, two young British soldiers – Schofield (George MacKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) – are tasked with a seemingly impossible mission. In a race against time, they must cross into enemy territory to deliver a life-saving message that could stop a deadly attack on 1,600 of their fellow soldiers, including Blake’s own brother.

1917 is an astonishing piece of filmmaking, meticulously choreographed and designed to appear as a single continuous shot. The result is a spectacularly immersive and hard-hitting depiction of a war not often captured on the big screen, based on a story recounted to director Sam Mendes (Skyfall, American Beauty) by his own grandfather, no less.

Nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture – and (as of this writing) winner of countless precursors to cinema’s highest honour – this is one film you can’t miss.