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Steven Spielberg’s The Post starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks is a riveting watch beginning in a perilous jungle war-zone in 1966 during the US invasion of Vietnam. However, the tension only mounts as the film progresses and the opening scenes of screaming bullets are replaced by the arresting hum of hundreds of typewriter keys slamming out articles under the pressure of looming deadlines on The Washington Post’s fast-paced office floor.

The film chronicles the lead up to the publishing of ‘The Pentagon Papers’, incriminating state documents that reveal the reality of the loss of US control in the Vietnam War, a different story from the information provided by the government during press statements. Military analyst Daniel Ellsberg (Matthew Rhys) seeks to rectify this rift between what the public are being told and the reality of the situation by commencing to sneak out the incrementing documents and providing them to The New York Times. Rival, and somewhat underdog of a paper in comparison, The Post is put to the test when The New York Times is brought to court by the government.

The Post’s decision to publish the remaining and most damaging aspects of the documents is far from a simple one. Spielberg perfectly captures the suspense and gravity of the situation in authentic 1970s fashion with heated five-way wire phone conversations and arguing chain-smoking men in pinstripe suits. If they publish, they are risking contempt of court and could face serious charges. Most powerful is a moment where The Post’s publisher Katharine Graham (Streep), who has previously been undermined and criticised by some of the newspaper’s directors, with a newly found authoritative flare and whilst donning an elegant nighty tells the men in her living room that her decision is absolutely final and she is off to bed, leaving them speechless.

Streep effortlessly sustains her performance throughout. She maintains Graham’s kindness and humanity as she relentlessly tries to please those around her whilst conveying a growing confidence in overcoming the sexism and dominance she faces. Hanks’ performance is equally impressive; Ben Bradlee, the fearfully admired editor of The Post, is sharp with his frequently crossed arms and feet on the desk. He tackles a range of emotions and tempers throughout, making the film all the more engaging.

Not only admirably accurate to historical events, The Post is thoroughly engaging throughout, a definite must-watch.