Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth, are part of a covert Special Forces operation in the South Philippines which spirals into a brutal 48 hour battle for survival. When an elite extraction team is ambushed deep in enemy territory, rookie officer Kinney (Liam Hemsworth) is left outnumbered, but determined to leave no man behind. With an air strike closing in, Kinney's only hope hinges on the guidance of Air Force drone pilot Reaper (Russell Crowe) and staff sergeant Nia Branson (Chika Ikogwe) to navigate unknowable danger where every move could be their last.
Others to round out the cast are Milo Ventimiglia as Sugar, Luke Hemsworth as Abel, Ricky Whittle as Bishop, Daniel MacPherson as Colonel Packett, Gunner Wright as Captain David Andrews, Robert Rabiah as Saeed Hashimi, Joey Vieira as Trevor Pinner and Lincoln Lewis as Airman Rusty Cummins.
This was directed with brutal intensity and grit by William Eubank (""Love" '11, "The Signal" '14, "Underwater" '20, "Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin" '21) plus a music video. This was intensely helmed by a filmmaker that knows wartime grit and brutal situations better than most directors out there. The brutal situations he put Liam Hemsworth through was amazingly realistic that you felt as if you might be viewing a documentary. Surely, this film is a true test of Hemsworth's acting ability and passing in spades. It was also incredibly penned well by writers David Frigerio ("Wreckage" '10, "The Sognal" '14, "Crypto" '19) plus a short and William Eubank (""Love" '11, "The Signal" '14). This was written in such a way that one would've assumed that it was based from a book about a true story, but as we see, it is a fictional script which makes this even more compelling. Was this perfect? No, but the very small places of slowness, which probably might have been purposed, didn't hinder the premise and the execution of this story at all. There's been so many films based on true stories, which are fine, but it's so captivating to see something original that comes from a writer's mind. The stunts, photography, editing and believable acting truly made this the film it is.
If you like espionage/war type films, you will love this. The cast was comprised by an eclectic group of actors that definitely know their craft. This film has it all: explosions, amazing stunts, action, thrilling situations, intensity and even a little comic relief. This is the quintessential popcorn flick which has to be seen on the large screen to take in the gritty intensity involved.
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: R 113mins.
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