History and film are two of my greatest interests, and when you combine the two, incredible storytelling can become the result. War movies make up a large proportion of the historical film genre, but there is one in particular, starring Andrew Garfield, is my favourite of all. Netflix watchers and fans of Amazon Prime will be pleased to learn that the epic war movie is streaming on both platforms.

Hacksaw Ridge is a moving film, directed by Bravehearts very own Mel Gibson. It’s based on a true story, adapted from Terry Benedict’s novel, The Conscientious Objector. It does well to break away from other war films depicting the experience of a conscientious objector (someone who refuses to take part in military service on grounds of conscience or religion), as opposed to the standard soldiers that other war films do well to portray.

Garfield stars in this WWII film as Desmond Doss, who, after nearly killing his younger brother, has pledged not to touch a weapon but joins the forces as a combat medic. It’s an incredible story and one of Garfield’s best performances to date.

Released in 2016, it is based on the 2004 documentary by Benedict. Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths and Vince Vaughn star alongside Garfield.

Hacksaw Ridge’s synopsis reads: “The true story of Pfc. Desmond T. Doss (Garfield), who won the Congressional Medal of Honor despite refusing to bear arms during WWII on religious grounds. Doss was drafted and ostracized by fellow soldiers for his pacifist stance but went on to earn respect and adoration for his bravery, selflessness and compassion after he risked his life – without firing a shot – to save 75 men in the Battle of Okinawa.”

The film was extremely well-received and won two Academy Awards, among many other accolades. Rotten Tomatoes’ audience reviewers award the film a high 92% score, with the critics just behind at 84%.

The critics’ consensus reads: “Hacksaw Ridge uses a real-life pacifist’s legacy to lay the groundwork for a gripping wartime tribute to faith, valour, and the courage of remaining true to one’s convictions.”

Critics praised Gibson’s direction, with one stating: “The superbly shot battle scenes aside, Gibson’s traditionalist sensibilities show up in how he shoots everything else, which is a perfect fit for this particular film. It’s easy to get lost in the period he visualises.”

“Hacksaw Ridge is an epic film of the grandest tradition,” another added.

An audience reviewer said: “Absolutely the best movie I’ve ever watched.”

“Wonderful, great war film, it’s brutal and full of emotions. I was shocked by the war scenes…really realistic and bloody and cried my heart out…touched me a lot,” added another reviewer.

Hacksaw Ridge is available to watch on Amazon Prime and Netflix.