Tom Hanks is one of the most reliable actors in Hollywood, hands down. The man has one of the most quality filmographies of all time, from kids movies like Big and Toy Story to more adult titles like Sully and Captain Phillips. Hanks’ newest is a period piece from the early days of World War II, a tense war film about the Allied convoys in the North Atlantic besieged by Nazi U-boats, entitled Greyhound.

During the early days of American involvement in the war, there was a gap of 50 hours in the North Atlantic between the united states and England where it was just too far for a land-based escort to go. This location was called the black pit. In the black pit, U-boat fleets hunted like a pack of wolves. This film is the story of one convoy going through this area.

And it is a total thrill ride. Greyhound is tense in all the right ways, and you’re never quite sure what’s going to happen. You know they’re going to cross the pit, but you’re never sure what the cost is going to be, like all the great war films. The cinematography is great, and the film adheres to a sense of realism in it’s that really plays up the drama.

There are little things about Greyhound I really appreciated, such as how theres a believable reason no one swears – not because the movie has to be PG-13, but because Tom Hanks’ character because he’s a religious captain, and the crew respects their Captain.

At the end of the day, Greyhound is extremely solid. A thrilling war film with a unique premise and some stellar acting from Tom Hanks makes this film a great time despite its inessentialness as a war film.