By this point, audiences have seen just about every type of movie imaginable about World War II. Some strive to be accurate portrayals of the brutality of the war and the impact that it has on the lives of the soldiers fighting in it. Others take a more fantastical approach, changing history or adding new elements to the battles that didn’t exist in real life. We’ve seen it all. So, it would be understandable to look at Pressure and think, “That looks like every other WWII movie ever made.” You’d be right, that is exactly what Pressure is. That said, this generic, unremarkable war movie gets enough things right that it’s flaws don't sink it.

Instead of focusing on the war itself, Pressure wisely narrows the story in on one man; meteorologist James Stagg (Andrew Scott). Stagg is considered one of the brightest minds in his field, so when General Dwight Eisenhower (Brenden Fraser) is finalizing his plans for D-Day and the defeat of the Germans, he turns to Stagg for a forecast. It is imperative that the weather be good on the day of the invasion, or else it may not happen at all. Unfortunately, Stagg discovers that a massive storm is brewing, forcing Eisenhower to decide whether to risk the lives of his men or risk losing the war.

What is certainly going to get praised about this movie, and rightfully so, is Scott’s performance. He’s a revelation as Stagg, a man keenly aware of the consequences of his forecast but determined to get it right in spite of the opposition he faces on all sides. He is a brash, determined man whom Scott brings to life in a layered, captivating way. Without a doubt, he is the single most impressive aspect of the film.

Fraser is also quite good as Dwight Eisenhower. The character shoulders a lot of responsibility, and Fraser is a gifted enough actor to demonstrate that emotionally and physically. He’s overshadowed by Scott’s performance, but that’s through no fault of his own. You couldn’t have asked him to do a better job.

The rest of the cast is equally as talented, and there are many solid performances among the group. I do think a couple of them dip into campiness from time to time, but it’s never anything that drags the film down. It helps that the script wastes almost nothing, so there’s not much room for most of the supporting cast to really stretch their muscles. The pacing is very brisk, few scenes linger long, and the dialogue is direct and always serves to move the plot along. There are some moments, particularly with Eisenhower, where it felt like we could have let the scene breathe a bit more, but the tight narrative does more good than harm overall.

Unfortunately, it is behind the camera, where the film becomes a bit mundane and generic. The lighting, set design, costuming, cinematography, it’s all perfectly good and serves the movie fine, but nothing stands out. This is a grounded World War II movie; you can probably already guess exactly what it looks like and you are right. A bit more creativity in the production itself, be it in clever lighting tricks or interesting camera angles, might have elevated the experience beyond “yet another WWII movie with some really good performances.”

Ultimately, if you just love war biopics, I can recommend Pressure. It may be generic, but it’s a perfectly competent entry into the genre. If you want to see fantastic performances, I’d also say it’s worth checking out. There are some great ones here. However, if you’re looking for something unique that explores the genre in a new way or delivers anything at all that you haven’t already seen a dozen times, Pressure may not be what you’re looking for. My forecast for the movie is: Decent, with a chance of disappointment.