The first reactions to Christopher Nolan’s World War II action-thriller Dunkirk have landed online. Written and directed by Nolan, the film follows the true story of Operation Dynamo, the rescue operation that saved hundreds of thousands of British soldiers who were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk during World War II. At 1 hour and 47 minutes, this is Nolan’s shortest film since his debut feature Following, but it’s certainly not small in scale. Reuniting with his Interstellar cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, the film was shot with a mixture of IMAX and 65mm film to bring the story to the screen in the most immersive way possible.

So what’s the word? Well, unsurprisingly, those who saw the film at the press day have high praise for Nolan’s craft. The guy is a master filmmaker, and with Dunkirk it sounds like he’s put together a non-stop, edge-of-your-seat thriller. The IMAX photography is also getting strong notices, as folks point out that experiencing this movie in full IMAX is the best way to do it.

But there seems to be a bit of an undercurrent of underwhelming notices for the characters and story. Nolan’s film sounds more experiential than anything, and there’s no individual standout character. Also, if you looking for movie stars, this ain’t the film—Tom Hardy apparently only has a handful of lines.

Check out the reactions below. The film stars Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles, Aneurin Barnard, James D’Arcy, Barry Keoghan, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, and Tom Hardy. Dunkirk opens in theaters on July 21st.

Dunkirk is edge of your seat filmmaking that’s fully realized in @IMAX. Can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like it. See this in IMAX! pic.twitter.com/7F10lnBB5U — Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) July 10, 2017

A lot of people were wondering about @harry_styles & unknown cast. They’re all great but Dunkirk is not about any one solider. pic.twitter.com/L1mHj1Uwxa — Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) July 10, 2017

Also ‘Dunkirk’ is another brilliant collaboration between Nolan & @HansZimmer. The way he mixes in a ticking clock with score is nail biting pic.twitter.com/3lRSs3upPI — Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) July 10, 2017

Let me say this one more time: if you’re going to see ‘Dunkirk’ go to an @IMAX theater. Look for IMAX 70mm. It’s absolutely worth the $ pic.twitter.com/VgRGH4TKxA — Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) July 10, 2017

#Dunkirk is chaotic, relentless, thrilling & one of the most captivating movies you will see this year. A master class in craft. What a ride pic.twitter.com/7PUxG71KKZ — ErikDavis (@ErikDavis) July 10, 2017

30 seconds in, Nolan once again delivers a spectacular edge-of-your-seat opening sequence. And then it just keeps upping the tension — ErikDavis (@ErikDavis) July 10, 2017

From direction to editing to cinematography to score, w/ #Dunkirk Christopher Nolan proves he is one of the great filmmakers of our time — ErikDavis (@ErikDavis) July 10, 2017

Dunkirk is thrilling, beautiful & a must in 70mm IMAX – but it's also hard to ignore that it has zero distinctive personalities/characters. — (((Eric Eisenberg))) (@eeisenberg) July 10, 2017

DUNKIRK is fantastic. Truly thrilling from first to last second. A heartbreaking, heart-pounding, nail-biting offering. Nolan fans, rejoice. — Anna Klassen (@AnnaJKlassen) July 10, 2017

DUNKIRK relies on v little dialogue, but is entirely impactful. We all know what happened on that beach, but Nolan's take is worth visiting. — Anna Klassen (@AnnaJKlassen) July 10, 2017

Yes, DUNKIRK relies heavily on sound of an increasingly fast ticking clock to build suspense. It may be a cheap trick, but it's effective AF — Anna Klassen (@AnnaJKlassen) July 10, 2017

And for those asking: Harry Styles does well in DUNKIRK, was pleasantly surprised. — Anna Klassen (@AnnaJKlassen) July 10, 2017

DUNKIRK: intense! 3 intercutting stories on 3 time frames. Almost a silent film, w/ incredible score. May be divisive. I LOVED. See 70mm! pic.twitter.com/E6Xga21Skm — Alicia Malone (@aliciamalone) July 10, 2017

#Dunkirk packs a wallop but VERY different Nolan movie. Def see on IMAX. Tom Hardy has 10 lines & is amazing. Harry Styles can act people!!! pic.twitter.com/uyG6rR0NV1 — Jason Guerrasio (@JasonGuerrasio) July 10, 2017