Christopher Nolan is an old-school kind of filmmaker. He likes to shoot on film. He uses actual humans as extras and antique fighter planes instead of CGI. (Wow!) And he can cut a trailer like nobody’s business.
The lead-up to Dunkirk, Nolan’s new movie hitting theaters in July 21, has been a series of haunting and intense images. The new trailer is no exception.
Dunkirk tells the story of the 1940 military operation to move 400,000 troops off the beaches of France and back to the relatively safe shores of Britain. Through Nolan’s lens, it’s a triptych from the perspective of a young soldier on the ground (newcomer Fionn Whitehead), a pilot in the air (Tom Hardy), and a civilian in a boat on his way to Dunkirk (Mark Rylance).
Beyond those three, there’s Kenneth Branagh, James D’Arcy, Cillian Murphy, and some guy named Harry Styles.
The film also continues Nolan’s love affair with large film formats. Dunkirk uses IMAX film for more of the movie than any other production in history, and what isn’t shot in IMAX is filmed in 65 mm.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- The Revolution of Yulia Navalnaya
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- Stop Looking for Your Forever Home
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com