Film buffs looking for a movie to watch this weekend should look no further than one streaming on Amazon Prime Video, which has been heavily praised. The war film comes hot on heels of another “heartbreaking” watch and a TV series billed as “perfect”.

The film is also one for those who loved epic movie Warhorse, Kate Winslet’s Oscar-winning The Reader and Joe Wright’s Atonement.

The film has previously been praised on IMDb by many people, with one person gave it 10/10 and titled their review: “Heartbreaking Portrayal of Love and Loss During War.” The user, who had read the memoir upon which the film was based, said they had “extremely high expectations” which were met by the strong performances.

A second person proclaimed in their 9/10 review that it was a “heart breaking and moving true story”. The user then shared a brief summary of the film, before going on to elaborate: “[I] was moved to tears at one point and that is very rare. The cinematography is superb, the direction excellent and all of the actors are completely convincing and bring their respective roles to full realised life.”

A third person gave the movie 9/10 and wrote: “I found this to be a well-acted and balanced presentation. It has left me with a lingering sadness and I feel that it has accomplished the purpose of showing the viewers the aching emptiness and futility of war. No one in this story escaped the impact of the World War I years.”  

One person titled their review: “Elegantly filmed piece portraying the futility of war” and went on to hail the film: “Another cinematic experience to make you think.” The audience member also described how viewers were “gently” eased into the story, before taking them into the horrors of war and the more harrowing moments.

Yet another viewer described it as “a worthy tribute to the fallen and those left behind”. The user elaborated about the poignant story: “It is both a tale of tragic loss as young, idealistic men volunteer for the slaughter fields of France and Belgium and an account of an intelligent young woman’s efforts to obtain a university education and make her independent way in the world.”

Testament of Youth came out in 2014, the centenary of World War I, and was an adaptation of nurse and writer Vera Brittain’s best-selling 1933 memoir. The film followed Vera (played by Alicia Vikander) and her relationship with her fiancé Roland Leighton (Kit Harington) as they met and fell in love, before their lives were torn apart by war. 

Testament of Youth also explored Vera’s other relationships with the young men loss at war, including her brother Edward Brittain (Taron Egerton) and her friends Victor Richardson (Colin Morgan) and Geoffrey Thurlow (Jonathan Bailey). Additionally, the story looked at Vera working tirelessly to get into Oxford University, before leaving behind her academic career to go to the front line in France, where she experienced the horrors of war firsthand.

The movie boasted an all-star cast, which also included The Wire’s Dominic West, Emily Watson of Chernobyl fame, Joanna Scanlan from The Thick of It, Hayley Atwell, Alexandra Roach, Anna Chancellor, Miranda Richardson, Charlotte Hope, and Daisy Waterstone. There was much praise for Swedish star Vikander, who led Testament of Youth from many. 

One person titled their 10/10 review “A heartbreaking snapshot of true life events” and lauded the star: “The film boasts an utterly wonderful cast, it’s no wonder that there are some fabulous performances, Alicia Vikander is utterly sensational as Vera, watching this film you’d never in your dreams believe she was Swedish, her RP English is incredible.”  

Another person gave the film 8/10 and went on to wax lyrical: “Vikander’s assured performance really saves this film from being just another solemn costume drama, and it’s largely thanks to her that the passion that inspired Vera Brittain’s antiwar classic still shows through despite a sometimes rushed and perfunctory screenplay.”

As a third declared: “Vikander is phenomenal. She single-handedly expresses the terror bestowed on the world, giving up her passion to study and becoming a nurse instead. Vera sees just as much horror as the troops sent away. Her brother (Edgerton), close friend (Morgan) and new love (Kit Harrington) end up on the front line.” They added: “The moment is Vikander’s, the bleak story hers alone.”

Testament of Youth is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video for a fee