A “masterpiece” war film hailed by one fan as an “instant classic” has just been added to Amazon Prime Video. Hacksaw Ridge (2016) is a World War 2 epic set during in Okinawa during what is widely regarded as the bloodest battle of the Pacific War.
The action is based on the true story of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), a conscientious objector who signed up to serve for the US military but refused to carry a gun due to his religious beliefs. Whilst serving as a medic, he famously risked his life in a daring mission to save 75 men despite being unarmed. The cast also includes Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths, and Vince Vaughn.
The film was directed by Mel Gibson from a screenplay by Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan, based on The Conscientious Objector, a 2004 documentary about Doss. It was nominated for six Oscars including Best Picture, winning the gongs for Best Sound Mixing and Best Film Editing.
The war epic has an impressive 84% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, reflecting the percentage of approved critics who gave it a positive review.
It scores even higher among general audiences, with a 92% score based on more than 50,000 Audience Reviews.
One fan wrote: “Hacksaw Ridge is a thrilling and emotional war feature, and quite frankly, Mel Gibson’s magnum opus.”
Another said: “While the early parts of the movie could probably be condensed without losing any significance of the story or its impact, the battle scenes are superb, and Garfield represents Doss in a way befitting a true war hero – a very good performance.
“Hacksaw Ridge is an all-round excellent story of courage, valour, honour, and grit during the Pacific War,” they added.
A third said the “movie is a masterpiece when it comes to war movies, especially WW2 films”.
A fourth, writing on IMDb, called it an “instant classic that will find its place on the shelf next to the likes of Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers”.
A fifth wrote: “There were many times during the movie that I was moved to the point of tears, and overall this was an emotionally gripping yet still entertaining depiction of the horrors of war and the reality faced at Okinawa.”
It has a 15 certificate and contains strong bloody violence, and gory injury detail – so viewer discretion is advised.
Hacksaw Ridge was added to Amazon Prime in the UK on Friday, May 8. It’s also available to stream on Netflix, or rent or buy on Apple TV, YouTube, and Sky Store.