Today’s quick review: The Trench. In June 1916, the British army prepares for a massive offensive against the Germans in northern France. Sergeant Telford Winter (Daniel Craig) leads a platoon of young soldiers as they guard a critical section of trench against heavy bombardment. As the battle draws near, Billy Macfarlane (Paul Nicholls), his brother Eddie (Tam Williams), and the rest of their platoon wrestle with the prospect of death.
The Trench is a war drama about the lead-up to the Battle of the Somme. Paul Nicholls and Daniel Craig head an ensemble cast in a tense and personal look at life on the front lines during World War I. The Trench captures its setting well, depicting the flashes of violence and endless waiting of trench warfare. However, its static story and relative lack of action put it at a disadvantage compared to other war films.
The Trench has a nice sense of tension throughout. The uncertainty of guard duty, the day-to-day risks of the trenches, and the looming threat of the battle all keep the characters and the audience from getting too comfortable. The characters are frustratingly human, with all the faults that make a bad situation worse and all the virtues that make death even more tragic. The result is a convincing slice of a pivotal moment in history.
Unfortunately, the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Individual scenes are compelling, but The Trench never hits the right emotional notes to build a bond between the audience and its characters. Instead of rich, full character arcs, The Trench offers fragments of fear and resilience. The nature of the story also limits what the movie can do. The soldiers are ordered to wait, and so the audience must wait with them.
Give The Trench a shot when you are in the mood for something tense and sober. The movie does a good job with its material, capturing the struggle of its soldiers in the face of terrifying odds. But The Trench is missing the tight writing that makes other war movies so compelling, making it a mediocre pick overall. Try it out if you’re interested, but look elsewhere if you want the best the genre has to offer.
For an even more gripping take on World War I, try 1917. For a World War I movie with a broader plot, try Warhorse. For a World War II that shows young soldiers hurled into a deadly situation, try Dunkirk, Saving Private Ryan, or Rage. For a World War II movie about a military decision with devastating consequences for the men on the ground, try A Bridge Too Far or Battle of Britain.
[6.0 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0161010/). I give it a 6.5 for effective but piecemeal drama.