The world remembers D-Day, but few know the extraordinary story of the last minute decision that would change the course of history. A film by Anthony Maras, staring Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon, Damian Lewis, Chris Messina, Con O’Neill, Jojo Macari, Alexander Hanson, Tamsin Topolski, Robert Portal, Joshua Hill, Toby Williams, Richard Clothier, Michael Benz, Crispin Letts, Harrison Osterfield, Sebastian Orozco, Pedro Leandro, Wil Coban, Max Croes, Taylor Uttley, Aidan Cheng, Daniel Quinn Toye, Charles Camrose, Patrick Flannery, John Schwab, Orlando Seale, Paul Bailey, and Roseanna Brown.
PRESSURE
Anthony Maras
(2026)
Late April 1944, Slapton Sands in Devon, England. The Allies have just attempted a large-scale rehearsal for D-Day known as Exercise Tiger, but it ends in catastrophe.
Intended to simulate the Utah Beach assault, it instead becomes one of the deadliest Allied training disasters of World War II. A devastating combination of friendly fire and a surprise attack by German E-boats results in the sinking of several landing ships, killing at least 749 American servicemen.
Six weeks later, Scottish meteorologist Group Captain Dr. James Stagg (Andrew Scott) prepares breakfast for his pregnant wife, Liz (Tamsin Topolski), before departing for Southwick House, the operational headquarters of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF).
Following a recommendation from Winston Churchill, General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) appoints Stagg to lead the forecast team as chief meteorological officer.
Eisenhower details the forces at his command. He has amassed 7,000 naval vessels, 130,000 ground troops, 200,000 naval personnel, 15 hospital ships, 8,000 doctors, and three airborne divisions. The largest seaborne invasion force in history is ready to storm the beaches of France on Monday, June 5 at 0630 hours. D-Day is 61 hours away, and the Allied High Commander makes it clear that the fate of the war depends on the accuracy of Stagg’s forecast.
Stagg argues that Eisenhower’s request is scientifically impossible, noting that long-term forecasting in Northern Europe beyond 24 hours is nothing more than educated guesswork. Eisenhower remains unmoved and insists Stagg must find a way to provide an absolutely certain forecast.
The General reveals that Churchill personally vouched for Stagg as the best meteorologist in the country, mentioning that the Prime Minister advised Eisenhower to rely on him over Colonel Irving Krick (Chris Messina), an American meteorologist who has worked alongside the General without fail since 1942. Brushing aside Stagg’s concerns, Eisenhower demands a definitive D-Day forecast by the following morning.
Working alongside Krick proves to be a challenge for Stagg, as the two men approach meteorology in fundamentally different ways. Krick relies heavily on old-school analog forecasting, basing his predictions on historical weather charts for Northern Europe dating back to 1900. He proudly brags about his past achievements, recalling how in July 1939, movie producer David O. Selznick called him to provide a three-day Beverly Hills forecast for the burning of Atlanta scene in Gone with the Wind.
Stagg, on the other hand, prefers to analyze real-time meteorological intelligence. From his experience, weather never simply repeats its own history. Taking charge, he orders his team to gather the latest readings from every base within a 2,000-mile radius of Normandy, including Paris, Galway, Reykjavik, Boston, Washington, Lisbon, New York, and Newfoundland. He demands data from every Met station, weather balloon, and reconnaissance flight, encompassing upper air, surface air, radar soundings, sea temperatures, and salinity. If a metric has been measured, he wants it on his desk.
300,000 men. 72 hours. One impossible decision.
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A film by Anthony Maras, staring Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon, Damian Lewis, Chris Messina, Con O'Neill, Jojo Macari, Alexander Hanson, Tamsin Topolski, Robert Portal, Joshua Hill, Toby Williams, Richard Clothier, Michael Benz, Crispin Letts, Harrison Osterfield, Sebastian Orozco, Pedro Leandro, Wil Coban, Max Croes, Taylor Uttley, Aidan Cheng, Daniel Quinn Toye, Charles Camrose, Patrick Flannery, John Schwab, Orlando Seale, Paul Bailey, and Roseanna Brown.
Directed by Australian filmmaker Anthony Maras and co-written with David Haig, PRESSURE is a World War II drama focused on the crucial 72 hours before D-Day in June 1944. The film is an adaptation of Haig’s 2014 stage play, which was inspired by the true events leading up to the Allied invasion of Normandy.
I never imagined a historical war movie about weather forecasting could be so exhilarating. The pacing and the script are wonderful, and the film manages to hold my attention for the entire runtime.
Andrew Scott gives an outstanding performance, landing several memorable lines full of sharp and sarcastic humor. The entire supporting cast is just as impressive, particularly Chris Messina, Kerry Condon, and Damian Lewis.
Despite some timeline inaccuracies and elements altered to heighten the stakes, which is completely expected for a historical drama rather than a strict documentary, I find Pressure to be one of the best war movies I have ever seen. This comes from someone who does not typically enjoy the genre and still finds the heavy combat scenes in this film to be too stressful and exhausting.
PRESSURE was theatrically released in the United States on 29 May 2026. The film is scheduled is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom on 9 September.
PRESSURE (2026)
300,000 men. 72 hours. One impossible decision.
