Directed by: Anthony Maras
Written by: David Haig and Anthony Maras, based on David Haig’s work on the 2014 play
Starring: Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon, Chris Messina, and Damian Lewis
Runtime: 100 minutes
The forecast is accurate: Scott and Fraser give compelling performances in ‘Pressure’.
“In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of (24 hours).” – Mark Twain
General Dwight ‘Ike’ Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) may have pondered a similar observation.
It’s June 1944, and Gen. Eisenhower is preparing the Allied Forces to storm the beaches of Normandy, France in three days. However, with the typical unpredictable weather at the 49th north parallel, the Allied Supreme Commander absolutely needs a reliable weather forecast for the day of the said invasion. If blustery meteorological conditions charge into the potentially choppy English Channel, D-Day could become a disaster for approximately 150,000 troops.
For this perilous mission to be successful, Mother Nature must comply.
Is the invasion a go or no-go?
Hence, this real-life story is brought to the big screen by director/co-writer/editor Anthony Maras and co-writer David Haig, who wrote “Pressure”, the 2014 play. “Pressure” – with a double-meaning of the ongoing anxiety to grasp the correct forecast and also a term about atmospheric conditions – is an intense, thrilling 100-minute historical drama, led by a pair of compelling performances by Andrew Scott and Fraser.
Scott plays James Stagg, the UK meteorologist tasked with providing his best guess of the climate on that fateful day to Gen. Eisenhower.
Set at the opulent and historical Mentmore Towers in Buckinghamshire, the United States and the United Kingdom joined in unison to hopefully plan a momentous turn in WWII. Maras and Haig’s screenplay centers around conflicting personalities inside this unified military front.
Stagg carries the burden of formulating his best guess with so many military lives on the line, a possible pivoting point of the war, and Ike, who stands as an imposing, no-nonsense figure with the presence of a living, breathing M4 Sherman tank.
Eisenhower, however, is not unreasonable, but, naturally, he’s hoping Stagg will utter, “Nothing but clear skies, no wind, with a high of 65 degrees Fahrenheit.”
Stagg’s main contention is with his American weatherman counterpart, Irving Krick (Chris Messina), who differs – in almost every way – in his meteorological approach, forecast, and temperament.
Krick is brash, arrogant, and boisterous, while Stagg doesn’t have a sunny disposition. James is pragmatic, professional, and sober.
Since they offer different weather outlooks, one can imagine the linguistic, cultural, and methodical collisions that will also ensue. Messina is perfectly cast as Stagg’s foil, and the always great Kerry Condon plays a critical role as Kay Summersby, a trusted voice for Eisenhower who may or may not find belief in Stagg.
The prime strength of “Pressure” is the palatable clash of wills between Stagg and Krick, as if they were (almost) enemy combatants, while also leaning on their individual methods of persuasion for an audience of one, even though the weight of dozens, perhaps 100, sets of eyes stare at James in the war room.
Much of the film stacks the ultimate stakes in an office politics setting, but Maras also offers the audience to step outside of US/UK headquarters and into the Normandy invasion.
In a May 2026 interview with Collider Interviews, Maras said, “We got access to the original 35mm footage that they shot 80 years ago.”
Now, anyone who attended 10th-grade social studies in 1946, 2026, or any year in between (or who watched “Saving Private Ryan” (1998)) knows the result of D-Day. However, the lead performances, the brisk, agreeable pacing, the stressful countdown and associated deadline, and Stagg’s daunting task make “Pressure” an awfully compelling watch, especially for those whose high school assigned textbooks never mentioned that day’s weather-forecast component.
Whether or not Twain’s count is anywhere close to accurate, there’s an intense amount of pressure on Scott’s James Stagg….and movie audiences.
Jeff’s ranking
3 / 4 stars
