Lone Survivor

Mark Wahlberg leads this blistering true story of warfare, heroism, and morality on the line.  Drawing from the account of Marcus Luttrell, the film displays the ill-fated events of United States Navy SEALS counter-insurgent mission, Operation Red Wings. The operation would see four reconnaissance and surveillance SEALS enter Afghanistan to track the Taliban leader Ahmad Shah. During their mission however, they came across a group of local shepherds, and were faced with the decision of whether to kill them or set them free. Their decision may very well have cost many of them their lives, as they quickly found themselves vastly out-numbered by Afghan forces. The film focuses on this intense gun battle for survival, as the four men are pushed to their utmost limits in order to survive and watch each others backs. While the focus of the film and its politics may be considered questionable, there is no denying that Peter Berg’s film packs one hell of a visceral punch. The stunt work and gun-play are intense and pulsing with tension and film-making flair, ensuring that you feel every rattle of gunfire and the searing force of every explosion.

The action is coupled with committed performances from Wahlberg, Kitsch, Hirsch, and Foster, all displaying natural camaraderie amidst the chaos and violence. A noble and impressively well-executed film which wears its Americana spirit on its sleeve, making decisions to ensure that that spirit comes out clean on the other side of the bloody conflict.

Andrew Gaudion