'Outstanding and raw' war film starring Saoirse Ronan now streaming for free

An 'outstanding' war film featuring a little-known Saoirse Ronan role is now streaming for free.

Released back in 2010, The Way Back stars the Little Women star, alongside Hollywood heavyweights Colin Farrell, Jim Strugess, and Ed Harris.

The film is already available to stream on Prime Video, but now non-subscribers can watch it on Pluto TV completely free of charge.

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Set in 1939, the drama follows a group of gulag prisoners who escape a Siberian labour camp, and must trek thousands of miles to freedom.

It is inspired by Polish prisoner of war Sławomir Rawicz's 1956 memoir, The Long Walk, in which he claimed to have escaped a Soviet gulag during World War Two.

Although the memoir tells an inspiring story, its authenticity is widely debated. While Rawicz, who died in 2004, claimed to have embarked on this gruelling 4,000 mile escape, historical evidence suggests the author may not have taken on the journey at all.

Despite this, famed Australian director Peter Weir was drawn to the story's heart and decided to adapt it for the big screen.

Ronan plays Irena, a young refugee who encounters escapees Janusz Wieszczek (Sturgess), Mr Smith (Harris), and Valka (Farrell) during their journey.

Upon its release, The Way Back earned widespread critical acclaim, bagging a respectable 73 per cent critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Reviewers raved about the period drama, with one saying: "This Peter Weir epic offers sweeping ambition and strong performances to go with its grand visual spectacle."

Casual moviegoers were equally impressed by the drama, with one Google Review stating: "It's a masterpiece and it's a pity that this movie is so underrated."

The same fan continued: "From actors to the dialogues, lights, camera-angle, background music, scripting, screenplay, art direction of sets, cinematography, everything will just blow your mind."

Someone else crowned the feature as "one of the greatest movies of WW2". Meanwhile, another fan said: "[It is a] tough to watch but an incredible story!"

Elsewhere, viewers claimed the "acting was outstanding and so was the story," with yet another fan praising the "raw" storyline.

A final viewer took to IMDb and simply penned: "Grim but beautiful."

The Way Back is streaming for free on Pluto TV.