It’s a little-known fact that Tom Hanks, who executive-produced the acclaimed 2001 miniseries Band of Brothers, also made a cameo in it. The Hollywood legend had an uncredited role as a British paratrooper in episode five, appearing alongside some of British acting’s bright young hopes, Stephen Graham among them.
But it’s not the only war drama that the pair have starred in together. We are, of course, talking about Greyhound, the 2020 adaptation of CS Forester’s novel The Good Shepherd, which tells a powerful story set during WWII. It’s tense, tight and action-packed, while retaining a procedural, logistical eye for military battle: a rare war film that is both highly technical and genuinely thrilling.
Intrigued? Here’s everything you need to know before watching, from who’s in it to where you can stream it.
What is Greyhound about?
The film follows a US Navy commander on his first assignment during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. He is tasked with commanding a small escort group defending an Allied convoy from German U-boats, an ordeal that proves far more strategically and psychologically challenging than he had imagined.
Who is in the cast of Greyhound?
The film features an ensemble cast led by Tom Hanks as the commander, with Elisabeth Shue and Stephen Graham in major supporting roles. Other actors include Rob Morgan, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Josh Wiggins, Tom Brittney and Karl Glusman.
What have critics said about Greyhound?
Greyhound received mostly positive reviews from critics, and has a 77 per cent approval rating from both critics and audiences on review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus refers to it as a “fast-paced World War II thriller [benefitting] from its efficiently economical approach”.
Kevin Maher of The Times gave the film four stars, writing: “The pacing is a thing of beauty, and rarely relents – think Crimson Tide meets Mad Max: Fury Road”, while Kevin Crust of the Los Angeles Times called it “an efficient, satisfying war film”.
Where can I watch Greyhound?
Greyhound is streaming exclusively on Apple TV+.