User Reviews

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.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

هذا فيلم مؤلم ومجهد في بعض الأحيان، ولكنه أيضًا بمثابة تحية قوية ومؤثرة للغاية لمجموعة من الرجال الطيبين والنزيهين الذين أصيبوا بجروح عاطفية، وفي بعض الحالات جسديًا، بسبب الحرب ولكنهم رفضوا الاستسلام

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.

When ISIS took their homes, families and city, one group of men fought to take it all back. After inexperienced Iraqi cop Kawa (Adam Bessa) is rescued from a harrowing firefight by the elite Nineveh SWAT team

harrowing and exciting definitely worth watching very good acting. very real.

My heart. Gritty. Captivating. There is some action, but it’s not the whole story. There is so much more.

This movie starts off with action and goes....pretty much the entire time. But there is definitely a compelling story and it is well acted and well written for a war film. Probably better than a fair amount of war films from the typical US soldiers perspective, and has strong production value. If you want to see an exciting and probably realistic war film from the Iraqi **** will likely enjoy this film.

The change of perspective is refreshing, even though it fails to avoid some western cliches.

Highly recommended, solid character-driven movie about a very complex, grim, story, but with rays of hope.

(Mauro Lanari) In its subgenre, Michael Carnahan's debut is well done, but he is uninterested in broadening the meaning of his war movie as other masterpieces have been able to do.