THEIR FINEST is distinguished by a number of elements, from the strong female lead of Catrin Cole at the centre of the story to a rousing and emotional yet witty screenplay.
Beyond that, it has a great cast including Gemma Arterton, Bill Nighy and Sam Claflin, the latter of which has been on a role recently. Born in 1986, the English actor has starred in a number of high-profile films in the last few years including The Hunger Games, Me Before You and Pirates of the Caribbean.
To celebrate the release of Their Finest, we’ve collected five Sam Claflin films that were essential to his rise through the Hollywood ranks.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
Claflin’s turn as Philip in the fourth Pirates film was arguably the first sign of two major things for the actor: that he possessed leading man potential and that he could handle a high-profile film. Whilst playing a different character, he was in many ways filling the shoes of Orlando Bloom, and it’s safe to say that he knocks it out of the park, showing natural charm and charisma throughout.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
It’s pretty hard to go for a bigger film right after Pirates of the Caribbean but Claflin did just that, landing the part of Finnick Odair in the Hunger Game series. Whilst once again showcasing his effortless charm, Claflin was able to delve into darker territory this time around as Finnick had to face the emotional consequences of participating in the games. This revealed more depth to the actor that would allow him to move onto greener pastures.
Love, Rosie (2014)
Claflin is given one of his first true starring roles here, taking on the romantic lead of Alex Stewart and he pulls it off completely. Claflin and Lily Collins have great chemistry together and are able to create believable and flawed three-dimensional characters. While he would move onto more nuanced romantic leads, this proved that he could carry a film on his shoulders and charm audiences throughout.
Me Before You (2016)
Taking on a far darker role than ever before as a recently paralysed man who wishes to commit suicide, Claflin is absolutely compelling throughout. It is no easy task convincingly portraying the physical and psychological turmoil of a quadriplegic man in such a harrowing situation but he makes it look effortless. This is not to mention the absolutely mesmerising chemistry between him and Emilia Clarke; say what you want about the actor but he is always able to create a convincing connection with his co-star.
Their Finest (2017)
Their Finest centres on untried screenwriter Catrin Cole (Gemma Arterton) who joins forces with fellow screenwriter Buckley (Claflin) and fading matinee idol Ambrose Hilliard (Bill Nighy) to capture the nation’s imagination and persuade the US to join the war. It is a riveting and compelling film that further cements Sam Claflin as one of the most exciting actors working today as well as someone capable of flourishing in many genres and inhabiting a variety of characters. Here’s looking forward to whatever direction the talented and exciting actor goes next.
Their Finest is out in UK cinemas on April 21st