Already awash with buzz following its successful stint on the festival circuit, Yann Demange’s award-winning 71 is being celebrated as another dazzling Jack O’Connell vehicle. The drama hit UK shores earlier this year and ahead of its US release a brand new trailer has dropped.
Set during the 1971 conflicts in Northern Ireland, O’Connell stars as a young British soldier abandoned on the streets of Belfast who must do whatever it takes to survive behind enemy lines. Building the suspense and action hinted at in the first trailer, this sophomore preview showcases the fast-paced world that O’Connell’s soldier finds himself in. Amping up the tension even moreso, it’s no wonder this flick has been lavished with nigh-on universal acclaim by those lucky enough to have caught it during its festival run.
After its debut this year at the Berlin Film Festival, the film has landed plenty of stellar reviews, including one from our own Sam Woolf, who granted it a four-star verdict. But could its imminent North American release be a simple move intended to capitalize on O’Connell’s rising star? Following his brilliant performances in underrated prison drama, Starred Up, and Angelina Jolie’s soon-to-be-released WWII drama, Unbroken, it won’t be long before the British lad becomes a major industry name.
71 opens in U.S. theatres on February 27, 2015.
“A young British soldier is accidentally abandoned by his unit following a terrifying riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971. Unable to tell friend from foe, the raw recruit must survive the night alone and find his way to safety through a disorienting, alien and deadly landscape.”