Fans of hard-hitting war movies looking for something beyond the usual battlefield classics could find their next watch on Netflix.

The Siege of Jadotville, the 2016 action drama directed by Richie Smyth and written by Kevin Brodbin, tells the largely overlooked story of an Irish Army unit caught in one of the defining conflicts of the 1960s.

Based on Declan Power’s non-fiction book of the same name, the film recreates the events surrounding the Siege of Jadotville and the Irish Army’s involvement in the Congo Crisis as part of a United Nations operation.

The conflict unfolded between 1960 and 1965, when political upheaval and violence engulfed parts of the Congo. The movie opens with the execution of Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba and the outbreak of civil war before turning its attention to the Irish soldiers who found themselves facing a brutal and vastly challenging situation.

Jamie Dornan leads the cast

Jamie Dornan stars as the Irish Army officer who commanded the Irish UN force, bringing the story of the soldiers to the centre of the film.

Dornan has previously spoken strongly about the importance of telling their story, arguing that the real-life veterans “didn’t get the recognition they deserved”.

The film gave audiences an opportunity to learn about their actions and shine a spotlight on what Dornan described as their “heroic” work.

The cast also includes Emmanuelle Seigner as Madame LaFontagne, Jason O’Mara as Jack Prendergast, Mikael Persbrandt as Dag Hammarskjöld and Mark Strong as Conor Cruise O’Brien.

Viewers praise the realistic battle scenes

The film has won over viewers who were unfamiliar with the historical events before watching it.

One Rotten Tomatoes reviewer called it “one of the best war movies around”, adding that they had no idea about the story and describing the soldiers as “total heroes”.

Another viewer praised it as an “amazing true story of real-life heroes”, highlighting its storytelling and acting and calling it a must-see.

Others have particularly praised the film for avoiding some of the familiar clichés associated with the war genre.

One viewer wrote that many other war movies seemed “slightly cheesy” by comparison, while praising The Siege of Jadotville for its realistic battlefield action and its decision not to rely too heavily on emotional melodrama.

Another described it as an incredible true story centred on “valour, determination and intelligence against brutal force”.

Cast trained like soldiers

Director Richie Smyth took additional steps to make the combat sequences feel authentic.

Before filming began, the cast underwent a training camp in South Africa. Smyth believed that the most effective way to make the actors look convincing as soldiers was to put them through military-style training themselves.

That preparation appears to have made an impression on audiences, with viewers repeatedly highlighting the realism of the action and the performances.

Rather than focusing solely on spectacle, the film keeps its attention on the soldiers and the extraordinary circumstances they faced.

For viewers who enjoy historically inspired war dramas such as Saving Private Ryan, The Siege of Jadotville offers a different conflict and a lesser-known chapter of military history.

The award-winning film, adapted from Power’s non-fiction book, is available to stream on Netflix.