Reviews are landing for World War II drama Greyhound and they’re largely upbeat. After rescheduling — thanks to COVID-19 — the film will be streaming on Apple TV+ from July 10.
Oscar-winner Tom Hanks wrote the film’s screenplay based on the C. S. Forester’s 1955 book The Good Shepheard.
Hanks also plays Captain Ernest Krause who commands a U.S. destroyer — USS Keeling (radio code-named ‘Greyhound’) — in a convoy being attacked by Nazi U-boats during the Battle of the Atlantic.
Inspired by actual events, Greyhound is directed by Aaron Schneider who also has a cinematography background with credits including being the second unit DOP for Titanic.
Critics have had a sneak peek at the film already and below is a sampling of what some have written about Greyhound so far.
JUDGEMENT
“Every dad in America should get to see Greyhound for free. It is your right as dads to see a movie that doesn’t really have a plot or characters but is an incredibly well-made tribute to World War II naval warfare starring America’s dad, Tom Hanks. Some might argue that Greyhound is too thin to warrant consideration, but I would counter that it hits the sweet spot of what it’s going for, which is to put you in the middle of a tense standoff as a Fletcher-class destroyer attempts to protect a group of supply ships as they make their way across the North Atlantic.” Matt Goldberg, Collider
@
“Hanks is terrific in a relatively internal performance as a humble (and openly religious) guy who essentially gets thrown into the deep end on his first day on the job. The film thrives on visual cues as to his emotional state (his refusal to eat, for example, signifying his having failed to earn a hot plate) since none of these men are prone to monologue or verbal introspection. Greyhound also works as a wartime procedural, a ‘here’s how things would go down’ demonstration. It’s aggressively unassuming, and that it’s not terribly memorable makes it no less compelling in the moment.” Scott Mendelson, Forbes
@
“After famously starring in Saving Private Ryan, and then executive producing both Band of Brothers and The Pacific for HBO, it’s clear Hanks has a genuine affinity and passion for the war and the ‘greatest generation.’ And when you look at the source material for Greyhound, C. S. Forester’s 1955 novel The Good Shepherd, about a many times-passed over naval commander finally being given his own warship as America joins the Allied powers in early 1942, you can see why, on paper, this is a prime part for the multiple Oscar winner. But hardly any of the lead character’s emotional doubt or inner turmoil that’s detailed in that book arrives on screen.” Matt Fowler, IGN
@
“Indeed, it is humanity that is missing here. Characters are introduced but disappear. Hanks is surrounded by a clutch of young American actors playing various ensigns and boatswains, but none of them register in any meaningful way. Stephen Graham as Kraus’ right-hand man similarly has little to do except draw straight lines with a ruler, but scores in a debate about whether a distress signal will reveal their frailties to the Germans. But the biggest problem is Krause himself.” Ian Freer, Empire Online
@
“As screenwriter, Hanks strips down the story to its essence, largely dispensing with both preamble and post-ordeal exhalation, focusing almost entirely on the nail-biting experience of the hellish voyage. The movie fully immerses the audience in battle, owing something to the intensity of both the D-Day landing in Saving Private Ryan and the combat sequences in Dunkirk. I confess I approached it with a certain weariness, expecting Sully on a boat, but found myself swiftly reeled in.” David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter
@
“The tone of the movie suggests an earlier era, too. Perhaps we can thank the obscenity-adverse captain for some of the story’s restrained decorum, but regardless, the decks are surprisingly free of profanity (with a few notable exceptions). For a war movie, it’s remarkably free of blood and gore, too — and really, at no detriment to the harrowing story. We don’t need gore to remind us of the cost of war. An effectively told story does that heavy lifting for us — and this is indeed an effectively told story.” Paul Asay, Plugged In
For a video review see what Chris Stuckmann has to say about Greyhound.