Sometimes, while scrolling aimlessly through movies on Netflix, it is possible to stumble upon a real gem. Such happy accidents should be savoured in this era of polarised cinema – where the majority of films in the public sphere seem to be either giant studio tent-poles, or mid-budget pot-boilers.

Their Finest – released in 2016, and popular on the festival circuit – is neither of these. Instead, it is a glorious literary adaptation that takes a close look at (white) women and the media in World War II Britain. Based on the 2009 novel Their Finest Hour, by Lissa Evans, Their Finest is directed by Lone Scherfig and written by Gaby Chiappe. This impressive trio of creative women has delivered a movie that is flawed by its exclusion of women of colour, but weaves an engaging...

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