‘Masterpiece’ war film Fury is perfect for Saving Private Ryan fans and is back on BBC tonight
Brad Pitt leads an outstanding cast in Fury, the brutal 2014 Second World War drama that puts viewers inside an American tank crew during the final weeks of the war in Europe.
The film has become a favourite among war-film fans, with viewers praising its intensity, performances and unusually immersive depiction of life inside a Sherman tank. Some have even described it as one of those films they can return to repeatedly without tiring of it.
For anyone drawn to films such as Saving Private Ryan, Fury offers another uncompromising look at the physical and psychological cost of combat.
Brad Pitt leads an all-star cast
Written and directed by David Ayer, Fury is set in April 1945, as Allied forces push deeper into Nazi Germany during the final stage of the European theatre of the Second World War.
Brad Pitt plays Don ‘Wardaddy’ Collier, a battle-hardened American army sergeant commanding a Sherman tank and its five-man crew. Alongside him are Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Peña and Jon Bernthal.
The story becomes particularly tense when the crew is joined by Norman, an inexperienced young soldier who has been placed in the tank as a machine gunner.
Norman is completely unprepared for the reality of combat. Surrounded by men who have already endured the horrors of war, he has to learn quickly if he is going to survive.
The crew soon finds itself facing overwhelming German forces. Outnumbered and outgunned, the soldiers are given an increasingly dangerous mission as Allied troops make their final push through Germany.
A war film shaped by real military experiences
Although Fury is a fictional story, David Ayer drew on extensive research and accounts from Second World War veterans when developing the film.
One important source was Belton Y. Cooper’s 1998 memoir Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II. Cooper served with the US 3rd Armored Division and wrote about the experiences of American armoured units, including the heavy losses suffered by tank crews during the campaign in Europe. Ayer used elements of Cooper’s experiences as part of the material behind the film.
The film’s focus remains firmly on the men inside the tank. Their relationship is shaped by exhaustion, fear, guilt, loyalty and the knowledge that a single mistake can have fatal consequences.
That emphasis on the crew’s shared experience is one of the reasons the film has connected so strongly with audiences interested in military history and armoured warfare.
The cast went through demanding military-style training
The performances were also backed by an unusually intensive preparation process.
Ayer put the principal cast through months of preparation, including a week-long boot camp conducted with the involvement of Navy SEALs. The actors faced early starts, physical training, obstacle exercises, cold rations and overnight duties designed to help them understand the discipline and discomfort of operating as a unit.
Brad Pitt later discussed the demanding conditions, including 5am starts, physical penalties and night watches.
The actors also spent extended periods together around the tank and during filming. Logan Lerman, who plays Norman, recalled that the cast sometimes slept beside the tank and effectively lived together while working on the film.
That preparation was intended to build the sense of trust and familiarity needed between the five men. Their closeness becomes an important part of the film as the dangers around them increase.
Fans praise Fury’s intensity
Audience reactions have continued to highlight the same qualities that made Fury stand out when it was released in 2014.
One Rotten Tomatoes viewer called it one of their favourite war films and particularly praised the way it places the audience inside the experience of an armoured crew. Another described it as thrilling and highly entertaining, while other viewers have praised its hard-hitting story and emotional impact.
The film’s depiction of camaraderie has also been singled out repeatedly. Viewers have praised the way the crew’s relationship develops under extreme pressure, with the story exploring fear, exhaustion, psychological trauma, failed plans and sacrifice rather than presenting combat as a straightforward heroic adventure.
Brad Pitt’s performance as Wardaddy has been particularly well received by fans, with viewers describing the character as simultaneously tough, exhausted, fearless and deeply human.
The relationship between Wardaddy and Norman is especially important. Norman begins the story as a newcomer struggling to understand the brutal reality around him, while Wardaddy has already been hardened by years of combat.
Filmed in England with an authentic focus on tanks
Much of Fury was filmed in England, including locations in the English countryside. Production rehearsals took place in Hertfordshire before principal photography began in Oxfordshire in September 2013.
The filmmakers also placed considerable emphasis on getting the tanks and battlefield environment right. A genuine Tiger I tank, Tiger 131, was made available for the production by The Tank Museum. It remains the only operating Tiger I tank in the world and was used to give the film an unusually authentic piece of Second World War hardware.
That attention to detail contributes to the film’s claustrophobic atmosphere. Much of the action takes place around or inside the tank, making the vehicle feel less like a backdrop and more like another central character in the story.
When is Fury on BBC One?
For viewers wanting to revisit the film, Fury is scheduled to air on BBC One at 10.40pm on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, with the broadcast running until 12.45am.
The 2014 film runs for around two hours and five minutes and stars Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Peña and Jon Bernthal.
For fans of intense Second World War dramas, Fury offers a particularly close-up portrayal of the men fighting from inside an armoured vehicle as the European war approaches its final days.