If you think that a movie about weather forecasting would be duller than dishwater, think again. It makes a well-known historical event into a nail biting, suspenseful war time drama. “Pressure” (2026) is the movie adaptation of cowriter David Haig’s 2014 play about the essential role that chief meteorologist, Group Captain Dr. James Stagg, played in advising General Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower of the date and time of D-Day during the preceding seventy-two hours. Fans of the ensemble cast, especially Andrew Scott in a rare leading role as Stagg, should rush to the theatre to see this historical drama, but WWII buffs may want to leave the theater once D-Day begins or prepare to leave with a bad taste in their mouth.
Scott often plays villains but lately has received opportunities to broaden his repertoire with such notable turns in “All of Us Strangers” (2023) and a scene stealing supporting role in “Blue Moon” (2025). Just based on Scott’s performance, “Pressure” is worth a trip to the theater. The film humanizes Stagg at the bookends so when he arrives at Southwick House, the Allied Expeditionary Force’s headquarters, and starts rubbing people the wrong way, he will not lose the audience’s sympathy. Considering that films live and breathe on an ornery, genius protagonist’s shoulders and high stakes are involved, this move was not required and may be the reason why, for some, the movie fails to stick the landing. In his portion of the headquarters, he is the cock of the walk, but when he starts to explore the rest of the manor house, the scale of the operations and the internal opposition to his methods begins to shake his resolve, which is the decisive evidence of his humanity. In one scene, tears well up and linger on the edge but never fall. Scott, how!?!
His lead opposition, opposite in temperament and foil is Irving “Irv” P. Krick (Chris Messina), a successful showboat who worked with Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) longer and is a beloved favorite. Messina is perfect for the role because he can boast without seeming like an unqualified windbag. For Brits and Scots watching “Pressure,” there is a bit of regional pride in the conflict as Stagg has the advantage of firsthand familiarity with the region’s weather whims whereas the overconfident American’s swagger is unfounded so he cannot just waltz in and own the place. Such humbling gets directed at Krick so no such (further) undermining can hurt Eisenhower, who was already shook after a training exercise went wrong because of instructions that got lost in translation.
Fraser never misses an opportunity to throw around his imposing stature or booming voice. If you are not a fan of Fraser’s penchant to go big and stay away from home, then consider yourself warned. He also has poignant moments and emphasizes Eisenhower’s deep regret over his mistakes and his sensitivity over lack of wartime experience. The balance will work for some, but not all, especially since Damian Lewis as Bernard ‘Monty’ Montgomery chews the scenery in a variety of ways like a bulldog itching for a fight but trying to appear calm and reasonable. He is a different kind of showboat from Irv.
Kerry Condon plays Lieutenant Kay Summersby, Eisenhower’s right-hand woman who wears a ton of hats and functions as the counterweight when tensions get too high. No other woman gets such a prominent role during most of “Pressure.” Anyone familiar with Condon’s work in “The Banshees of Inisherin” (2022), “F1: The Movie” (2025) and a brief cameo in “Train Dreams” (2025) will not be surprised that she is a natural.
Overall, “Pressure” shows all the players at odds in their respective corners then show as they gradually coalesce into a team for a common cause. Movie goers who work in offices will react to the snubs of who gets invited to a meeting as if they were storming the beaches themselves. The office politics are riveting and contentious, which makes it even more impressive how they were able to pull off a logistical nightmare under horrific conditions to turn the tide. There is a good lesson embedded in calling a colleague back in so they are not left to drown in their despair of how close they got to getting it all wrong, but it also may be a lesson that is better not to try off screen depending on whether it is a honest mistake or rooted in some psychological flaw, not fact.
There is also a theme of science versus history then science paired with God as the Bishop Thomas Ken 1674 ‘s commonly known as The Doxology hymn, “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow,” in the Anglican tradition. Director and cowriter Anthony Maras really lays it on thick in this sequence with a close up of a bird singing as the sun shines on the rolling green hills. Expect a lot of shots of rolling clouds congregating and falling away as the film continues. Maras uses the camera dynamically during the interior scenes to convey the dizzying disorientation that Stagg felt upon assuming his new duties. Maras’ battlefield sequences are sanguine, brutal and brief, and the shock of the troops landing then getting mown down is never something that is possible to get accustomed to even in smaller doses. He also shoots portions of these sequences as if it was actual footage using a grainy texture finish, which is a mixed bag.
The historicity of “Pressure” will be surprising to those who are interested in WWII but did not study the battles in detail. For those who did, the controversy will rest in how Maras and Haig, who played Stagg three times, oversimplified D-Day as if it was a tidier and shorter operation than it was. Movie lovers will be more forgiving since they will be looking for resolution over the cliffhanger embedded in Stagg’s personal life.
It is hard to believe that “Pressure” is based on a play even with all the reams of dialogue because of the locations, the epic recreations, the camera work and the sound design which uses the tropey, but reliable sound of a clock to signify how they are running out of time; when Stagg disassociates and blocks out the sound of revelry; or the Lieutenant addressing him. It never feels possible that all that action could be contained in one location on a limited surface.
The release of “Pressure” is timed after Memorial Day weekend so if you feel compelled to extend the celebration at the theater, it is a solid choice. Though it depicts a specific era, it is a heartening lesson needed at another time when hope is in short supply, and the odds are not in anyone’s favor. Sadly, some Americans may be rooting for the wrong side considering the resurgence of Nazis permitted into polite society.
