Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

The Trench

Released Nov 22, 2000 1h 38m War History Drama List
Tomatometer 4 Reviews 41% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
On the eve of a massive battle with the Germans, Sgt. Telford Winter oversees a company of British soldiers too young and naive to be properly terrified of their coming mission. Prominent among the recruits is Billy Macfarlane, a patriotic teenager who struggles to reconcile his homesickness with his sense of duty. Meanwhile, their commanding officer, Lt. Ellis Harte, squirrels himself away in his tent sipping brandy and reading poetry.
Watch on Peacock Stream Now

Where to Watch

The Trench

Critics Reviews

View All (4) Critics Reviews
Rich Cline Shadows on the Wall atmospheric and uneven Rated: 3/5 Jul 11, 2004 Full Review Chuck Rudolph Matinee Magazine Loaded with soggy, overused war movie cliches. Rated: 1/5 Jul 27, 2002 Full Review Jason Clark Matinee Magazine Rated: C- Feb 4, 2002 Full Review Ian Mantgani UK Critic Rated: 6/10 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (65) audience reviews
Maya W Great production. It's certainly not the usual family entertainment (unless you're interested in the topic) but the film is very unique and believable. It allows you to understand the situation the characters are in and unlike a lot of war movies, it neither feels exaggerated nor played down. I thought it was a very good movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/18/24 Full Review Peter H Hard to believe with an actor like Craig and a setting like the Somme, a movie could be so boring. It is hard to feel anything for the characters. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 10/14/23 Full Review Mike W The movie gave a harrowing depiction of WW I fear and misery, but it's storyline was too predictable. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 06/08/23 Full Review Edward K Slow and boring, even with Daniel Craig and Cillian Murphy. Lack of plot, no character development. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/09/23 Full Review Jason G The movie is set during the hours leading up to WW1's bloodiest battle, the battle of the Somme. Lot of people complaining about no action in this movie, which I think was a fresh turn from typical war movies. This movie showed what it was like actually being in the trenches especially for young teenage soldiers who have no idea what's to come. For those who know about the history of the battle of Somme, it's sad knowing their fate are sealed for soon it will be the costliest day in British Military History where the British lost 26,000 troops in the first day alone. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/31/22 Full Review jess s Largely reads as a rip-off of Gallipoli. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Trench

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis On the eve of a massive battle with the Germans, Sgt. Telford Winter oversees a company of British soldiers too young and naive to be properly terrified of their coming mission. Prominent among the recruits is Billy Macfarlane, a patriotic teenager who struggles to reconcile his homesickness with his sense of duty. Meanwhile, their commanding officer, Lt. Ellis Harte, squirrels himself away in his tent sipping brandy and reading poetry.
Director
William Boyd
Producer
Steve Clark-Hall
Distributor
Somme Productions, Entertainment International Pictures
Production Co
Bonaparte Films Ltd., Le Studio Canal +, Blue PM, Arts Council of England
Genre
War, History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 22, 2000, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 8, 2019
Runtime
1h 38m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
Most Popular at Home Now