Fans of war dramas are being urged to watch an award-winning film that is available to stream for free now.
The film, which is just one of many “masterpiece” war films, follows two United States Army casualty notification officers and it explores how their difficult work impacts their personal lives and relationships.
The movie received first prize for the 2009 Deauville American Film Festival and was also nominated for a Golden Globe and two Oscars.
Ben Foster stars as Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery, who is on leave from the Iraq War. He received commendation for his heroic actions but struggles with PTSD.
Before he is discharged, he is dispatched as a casualty notification officer along with Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) as his mentor.
The film in question is The Messenger, which is available to stream for free through Plex and it received rave reviews.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 90% with praise geared towards Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster specifically.
Fans hailed the war drama “impeccable” and a “must-see”, with one sharing: “I would say a MUST SEE for every single American living in our country that have NO clue to what this is like.
“I am X Army, married to Vietnam Vet, but I never went to war, nor had a friend die in war. I cannot imagine the pain. The movie brought me to tears over and over.”
On IMDb reviews, Jared_Clay added: “Brilliantly acted film depicting two soldiers whose job it is to inform families when loved ones are killed in battle.
“Harrelson has never been better and Foster more than matches him all the way. It’s emotional and engaging and genuinely painful at times.”
Oyason commented: “The Messenger is by far and away one of the best works of art that addresses the deep tragedy behind the current U.S. war in the Middle East that I’ve seen.
“It is a rare gem in mainstream contemporary US filmmaking.” The performances of the main cast were subject to critical acclaim, with Harrelson earning Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for his work.
Ben Affleck was originally slated to work on the film, which was the directorial debut of Oren Moverman, but talks fell through.
The Messenger is available to stream for free through Plex
