Lancaster Skies

Lancaster Skies is a 2019 British war film focusing on the British bomber campaign in World War II. It is an homage to the British war films of the 1940s and 1950s.

Plot
1943: Angry and bereaved by the death of his younger brother, Flight Lieutenant Douglas Miller, a broken, solitary, spitfire ace, who survived The Battle of Britain, transfers to Bomber Command, determined to take the war to the skies over Germany. On arriving at his new posting, he is given the unenviable task of replacing the much loved Skipper of an experienced Lancaster Bomber crew, who was killed in action just days before. Struggling to bond with his new crew, and obsessed with his mission to wage war at any cost, Douglas must find a way to gain their trust, and overcome his inner demons, in order to become the leader they so desperately need.

Cast

 * Jeffrey Mundell as Douglas Miller
 * David Dobson as George Williams
 * Kris Saddler as Charlie Moore
 * Joanne Gale as Kate Hedges
 * Vin Hawke as Thomas Mayfield
 * Steven Hooper as James Parker
 * Henry Collie as Robert Murphy
 * Josh Collins as Henry Smith
 * Rosa Coduri as Jo
 * Tom Gordon as Alfie Hammond
 * Eric Flynn as Ron Miller

Production
With the total budget for the film set at only £80k, the small production team knew that the visual element of the film was going to prove very challenging indeed. In keeping with the retro style of the film, scale models were used for the majority of the visual effects. Digital effects were deliberately kept to a bare minimum.

Reception
The Guardian gave the film two stars, saying 'Lancaster Skies feels like cinema made in a sensory deprivation tank—fear, desperation and the roar of engines are all missing in action. When the climactic battle sequence finally arrives there's little dread or excitement.'

Every Film Blog gave the film 6/10 and said, 'Burn didn't have money to throw around on Lancaster Skies but he has, nevertheless, created a movie which makes its audience think.'

Road Rash Reviews gave the film 5/5, saying 'Lancaster Skies is a World War II tale that is strongly character driven, with high production values, which set this film at a stratospheric height.'