Based on recent developments, Netflix could be the place for underrated and unsung war dramas to find a whole new audience, with another relatively fresh arrival joining The Forgotten Battle in finding success on the world’s most popular streaming service.
While The Forgotten Battle was an international co-production that ranked as one of the most expensive productions to come out of the Netherlands, The War Below is a lot smaller and more intimate in scale. Written and directed by J.P. Watts in his feature debut, the story tells the fascinating tale of the Clayckickers, also known as the Manchester Moles.
During World War I, a group of British miners were tasked to dig a tunnel beneath No Man’s Land to plant bombs under the German forces at the Battle of Messines in 1917. While there’s a certain degree of artistic and creative license taken with the story, the real explosions instantly killed over 10,000 German soldiers.
It’s riveting stuff, and a hugely accomplished first-time feature when you consider the budget was a mere £500,000. The War Below scored a strong 88% Rotten Tomatoes, and as per FlixPatrol, the atmospheric and intense wartime thriller has spent the week slowly clambering up the Netflix most-watched list.
