One of the reasons I enjoyed the film The Hurt Locker so much was because of how realistic it seemed. When I watched that film, it almost had a documentary feel to it. And during some of the battle scenes, it felt as if the audience was right there, among the action. Another film that took place in a war zone and felt realistic and documentary-like, was Rescue Dawn, one of the most criminally underappreciated films I've ever seen. No doubt the director's (Werner Herzog) extensive experience making documentaries aided in portraying Dawn in such a realistic manner. And now, there's another war film that rivals both Locker and Dawn, and that war film is The Outpost. And it may be the best one yet, in my humble opinion. There are so many technical achievements in Outpost, that it would be worth watching for that reason alone. But, thankfully, the true story that surrounds this technically proficient film is absolutely gripping, so much so, that it will not easily let you out of its grasp, even days after watching it. I watched it with my dad on Saturday night (10-3-20), and it's still with me today. I cannot get over what these soldiers went through on that day...something I think most of them knew was inevitable. They were sitting ducks in one of the most poorly placed outposts in United States military history. And once the main battle begins, it does not let up for a considerable amount of time. Indeed, during that scene, the action was non-stop and graphic, and my dad and I both were on the edge of our seats. The Outpost is one of the best war films I've ever seen. The story, the writing, the direction, and the acting...all exceptional, and all worthy of recognition by the major awards associations, including the Academy Awards. I would not be surprised to see nominations for numerous technical awards and the individual ones as well, especially for the performance of Caleb Landry Jones. In fact, there's a scene near the conclusion of the film where his character is being counseled regarding the difficult things he saw and did during the battle. It's probably the most powerful scene in the film, and much of that has to do with Jones' portrayal of his character's interactions with the counselor. It's powerful, moving, and heartbreaking.
Right now, with 11 or so weeks left to go in what has been a very long and unusual year, The Outpost sits atop the list of my five favorite films from 2020. Could that change before the end of the year? Maybe. Will it? I doubt it.
As I have before, I'm adding an addendum to address a comment made above. To: pranesh-34163 - Your very brief, arrogant comment tells me one of two things. Either you didn't watch the movie and decided to comment anyway, or you did see it and you are purposely being deceptive. No one was whining about anything. The only whiner I see is you. This was a true story about a group of soldiers who were stationed in the worst place for a military outpost in the history of warfare, which is why so many of them died. Maybe you didn't like the film because it portrayed a reality that you don't want to think about. Maybe you're just an arrogant Gen Z, or millennial who thinks you're better or more sophisticated than most people. You don't have to like the film...that's your prerogative. But when you denigrate others who did like the film, and when you call people whiners who express sorrow for what happened to these soldiers, then you show every one what an ingrate you are. And if anything, this is not a pro-war film. In fact, it's a film that criticizes those in the military and in the government who were responsible for making an outpost in the worst possible place. Of course, since you probably didn't watch the movie, you wouldn't know how ridiculous your comment is. You have no idea what you're talking about.
Right now, with 11 or so weeks left to go in what has been a very long and unusual year, The Outpost sits atop the list of my five favorite films from 2020. Could that change before the end of the year? Maybe. Will it? I doubt it.
As I have before, I'm adding an addendum to address a comment made above. To: pranesh-34163 - Your very brief, arrogant comment tells me one of two things. Either you didn't watch the movie and decided to comment anyway, or you did see it and you are purposely being deceptive. No one was whining about anything. The only whiner I see is you. This was a true story about a group of soldiers who were stationed in the worst place for a military outpost in the history of warfare, which is why so many of them died. Maybe you didn't like the film because it portrayed a reality that you don't want to think about. Maybe you're just an arrogant Gen Z, or millennial who thinks you're better or more sophisticated than most people. You don't have to like the film...that's your prerogative. But when you denigrate others who did like the film, and when you call people whiners who express sorrow for what happened to these soldiers, then you show every one what an ingrate you are. And if anything, this is not a pro-war film. In fact, it's a film that criticizes those in the military and in the government who were responsible for making an outpost in the worst possible place. Of course, since you probably didn't watch the movie, you wouldn't know how ridiculous your comment is. You have no idea what you're talking about.