The Outpost (2020)
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The story
During the war in Afghanistan, SSG Romesha and a new group of soldiers arrive at PRT Kamdesh, a remote base in a valley surrounded by the Hindu Kush mountains. Under the command of CPT Keating, the men must fend off regular Taliban attacks while attempting to establish peace with local elders. However, the base is regarded as a deathtrap, and the situation becomes increasingly volatile as the troops face one of the bloodiest American engagements of Operation Enduring Freedom. The soldiers must navigate internal tensions, complex rules of engagement, and an impending large-scale insurgent assault.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
SSG Romesha and a new group of soldiers arrive at PRT Kamdesh under CPT Keating. After various skirmishes and a failed attempt to secure peace through a shura, Keating is killed in a vehicle accident. CPT Yllescas takes command but is killed by a bomb during a patrol, leaving a traumatized Yunger to be extracted. CPT Broward then takes charge, revealing plans to close the base. Tensions rise between Romesha and Broward over rules of engagement. A nighttime attack reveals the insurgents have night vision and mortars. After a series of skirmishes and a fraudulent claim by elders regarding a girl's death, Broward is relieved of command. Left in charge, 1LT Bundermann orders the men to stay silent about leaving. On October 3, 2009, hundreds of Taliban fighters surround the outpost. A brutal firefight ensues; PFC Thomson and Scusa are killed, and Romesha is wounded. After Romesha eliminates a sniper and convinces Bundermann to retake the base, a desperate fight for the gate occurs. Air support arrives, and a B-1 bomber strikes the Taliban. Carter and Larson carry a wounded SPC Mace to the aid station, where he is transfused with blood but ultimately dies. The remaining soldiers leave as the base is demolished. The battle left 27 Americans wounded and 8 dead, making it one of the most decorated units of the war.
- First release year
- 2020
- Runtime (minutes)
- 123
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Rod Lurie
- Writers
- Paul Tamasy · screenplay; Eric Johnson · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Scott Eastwood · Romesha; Caleb Landry Jones · Carter; Orlando Bloom · Keating; Jack Kesy · Yunger; Cory Hardrict · Scusa; Milo Gibson · Kirk; Jacob Scipio · Gallegos; Taylor John Smith · Larson
- Genres
- war; drama
- Themes
- heroism; sacrifice; warfare; military duty
- Tone and mood
- gripping; visceral; harrowing; respectful
- Premise and plot tags
- based on non-fiction; war drama; siege; historical
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by Jake Tapper (2012)
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for the battle sequences and respectful depiction of the soldiers.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 71 · scale: 100 · review count: 19
- Production trivia
- Three people who served at the actual outpost appear in the movie.; The film was scheduled to premiere at the 2020 South by Southwest Film Festival, but the festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.; The film was the top-rented film on the iTunes Store and FandangoNow in its debut weekend.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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