It is not the first time Dorocinski has played a senior military figure and he is utterly credible here as the quiet and determined Urbanowizc. Indeed all the supporting characters put in solid performances, not least Marcin Dorocinski (Jack Strong, Operation Anthropoid) as the fighter ace Witold Urbanowicz. He is played here with aplomb by Milo Gibson (Gangster Land, Hacksaw Ridge) as the middle man between a rock (the Polish pilots) and a hard place (the British Air Command). The initially reluctant commander of the 303 squadron is Group Captain Johnny Kent, or ‘Kentski’ as he became affectionately known by the Poles under his command.

If she is central to the conflict on the ground then Zumbach leads the way in the air and the film balances the right amount of aerial action with ground based drama. But not Lambert, she exhibits a lust for life - and for the Polish pilots, and is a refreshingly strong and important female character here, adding fuel to the burning jealousies on the ground. Often war films portray female characters as wallpaper, only there as soundboards, and to admire the heroic men in their smart uniforms. Stephanie Martini (Crooked House, UK TV Series Prime Suspect, Doctor Thorne, Emerald City) plays one such admirer, Phyllis Lambert. The word of their prowess spreads and gives rise to both admiration and jealously from the home grown pilots and ground crews. In the air the Poles prove they are without equal, consistently outperforming the allied pilots in both their high number of kills and low number of losses. In England they are looked down upon by the British Air Command and must first battle racism and the not inconsiderable language barrier (given the time frame) before winning their seats in the waiting Hurricane fighter planes and taking on the Luftwaffe with a squadron of their own, the now legendary 303 Squadron. Telling the often disregarded story of the enormous contribution made by the Polish to the winning of the Battle of Britain, Hurricane follows Jan Zumbach, played by Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones) and his compatriots as they arrive in England from occupied Europe ready and willing to fight for Polish freedom.

Good films entertain better films expose a hidden truth. Starring: Iwan Rheon, Milo Gibson, Stefanie Martini, Marcin Dorocinski.

Mission of honor