Mosul

There’s so much I loved about this movie. I’ve seen people point out small moments of symbolism I didn’t even notice at first, and it makes the story hit even harder. The perspective of the Nineveh SWAT Team in the fight against ISIS is portrayed with raw honesty. Every man in that unit is personally affected by ISIS, and you feel their pain, motivation, brotherhood, grief, compassion, and brutal choices in every scene. The action is tense without being over-the-top, and the emotional weight hits harder than most big-budget war films. From the moment Kawa joined the team, watching his transformation within just a few days was powerful. You could see the innocence leaving his face, and his sense of justice growing stronger in every scene. Seeing Major Jasem grieve not only for his family taken by ISIS, but for his city was heartbreaking. The acting was phenomenal and made me emotional. Truly a brilliant film.

This is a sometimes wrenching and draining film, but it’s also a powerful and ultimately deeply moving tribute to a group of good and decent men who have been emotionally and, in some cases, physically wounded by war but refuse to surrender.