THE OUTPOST (2020) – Review

Last year in the times of opulent movie showcase palaces with big wide screens and thundering digital sound (yes, the “before times”) two major studio features focused on the last century’s two world wars: 1917 and MIDWAY. This holiday weekend sees the release of a major battle film from a more recent conflict. Without the big theatres to bask in the epic scope, this film goes for a more intimate approach. Instead of hopping from country to country, we’re embedded right there with the warriors as the world seems to explode all around them. Even with modern tech, the danger is just as abrupt and deadly. And for the last couple of decades, the hottest of the world’s hot spots (in nearly every way) was Afghanistan. As we celebrate our freedom on this patriotic holiday, it may be the perfect time to look back at another incident concerning those who gave everything for us to enjoy our cookouts and fireworks, those soldiers who valiantly defended THE OUTPOST.

The story actually begins in 2006 as Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha (Scott Eastwood) and several other new additions arrive at their new assignment, Combat Outpost Kamdesh (later renamed Keating) in the dead of night (the Taliban forces haven’t acquired night-vision tech, valuable since the mountain block-outs the moonlight and most stars). Upon landing they are immediately taken to the C.O.1st Lieutenant Benjamin Keating (Orlando Bloom) who re-states their purpose there to support counterinsurgency efforts against the flow of weapons from nearby Pakistan into neighboring towns like Kamdesh in the Nuristan Province of Eastern Afghanistan. One way to win the locals’ “hearts and minds” is by funding local constructions (roads, schools) and recruiting the younger men as “peacekeepers” (lured by some “financial aid”). Keating himself meets with the village elders to convince them of the US military’s just intentions. Prior to the “sit-down”, Romesha and the new men get a taste of the daily routine there as the outpost is suddenly under attack from shooters high up in the mountains surrounding them. It’s then that we meet the main ammo supply “runner” Specialist Ty Michael Carter (Caleb Landry Jones) who evades machine gun fire as he delivers the much-needed supplies (bullets, etc.). The men return fire until the mortar launcher finds its target, scattering (or destroying) the attackers. As the years pass, the men try to adjust to rigors of downtime while being alert to the constant threat of the insurgents. The base officers come and go until one of the “long-timers” is put in charge until the base’s rumored shutdown (after the local elections in October). But then the tension amps up. The village intel man’s warnings about incoming Taliban troops become more frantic. Then the elders head into the camp demanding immediate payments for destruction and “insults to their honor”. Not long after, the early morning sunrise reveals waves and waves of heavily armed Taliban troops descending down the mountainside. The outpost’s location in the valley surrounded by high ground makes them a “sitting duck” with no real escape option. Luckily the communications aren’t cut off. But the air firepower (mainly Apache helicopters) is a couple of hours away. Can these 53 soldiers possibly survive against the hundreds all around them until back-up from above helps to “even the odds”?

With his work as real-life hero Romesha, Eastwood continues to build an impressive resume on his way to big screen hunk/ action star (some cowboy romance in THE LONGEST RIDE, switched with the fantasy of THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS franchise). He’s required to be a steely-eye (easy considering his DNA) man in charge, which he excels at, particularly as he barks out strategy and instructions to his often overwhelmed “band of brothers”. It’s not until the high-energy third act do we see some of that tough exterior begin to soften as frustration over the whole “boxed-in” scenario begins to wear on him seeming to cause him more pain than the oozing shoulder wound (he dismisses countless offers for a “patch-up’). While he’s solid in battle, Jones excels in expressing the “inner fight” inside the mind of the complex Carter. He shows us a man barely given the respect of a “service animal” by his squad (you can almost see him wince as they basically scream “Run! Fetch!”, then berate him for mixing up any ammo numbers). Nobody appears to appreciate his “zig-zagging” through the firefights in order to load up and repeat over and over. During the “downtime” he softly seethes as the others bond and joke, even brushing off digs at his odd resume (from school to the Marines, then a stateside gig at a “big-box’ store before jumping into the Army). His opinion, much as his mortality, doesn’t seem to matter to anyone, especially when he expresses his concerns about the new C.O. to an officer ( a verbal “slap-in-the-face” is his “reward”). Jones isn’t concerned about making Carter “likable” even as that attack brings out his inner “protector”, a turn that will no doubt lead to many sleepless nights. He delivers the film’s best performance. As for the film’s first act, Bloom is most impressive as the “papa bear’ trying to protect his men while carrying out conflicting orders from the top that require him to humble himself to the locals who would take advantage of their “deep pockets”. He’s noble in his desire to be right alongside “his guys” in the dirt and dust, though he’ll pay the ultimate price for his compassion.

Though perhaps best known for his political dramas like THE CONTENDER, Rod Lurie proves to be an effective action director. He expertly captures the sweaty panic of the near-daily attacks and ramps up the disorienting chaos of the big battle. Unfortunately, the long stretches of everyday aggravation and monotony quickly become repetitive with petty squabbles and booze (and pot) fueled revelry (what’s the deal with the two naked guys mumbling “I love you” to each other as they slow dance). Still, there are scenes of great suspense with a nighttime convoy trek over crumbling roads of the mountain that recalls the nail-biting moments of SORCEROR. But aside from the surprisingly abrasive Jones as Carter, the rest of the troops soon adhere to the old war film stock characters (at least none of them is nicknamed “Brooklyn”). Perhaps the screenplay by Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy, adapting Jake Tapper’s lauded non-fiction book, needed a bit more ‘tightening’. And though combat sequences feel authentic, they also seem too similar to the now-standard “desert battles’ from recent films like AMERICAN SNIPER, LONE SURVIVOR, 13 HOURS, and even the flashbacks of HBO’s series “Barry”. But aside from such familiar trappings, the film is respectful of those sacrifices, even getting in a jab at the “higher-ups” for establishing a base in such a dangerous, “hemmed-in” locale. Be sure and stick around for the end credits to see the real faces of those heroes of THE OUTPOST, before you resume your Fourth festivities. After all, they picked up “the tab”.

Two and a Half Out of Four

THE OUTPOST screens at select theatres. Beginning Friday 7/3 it will be available as a Video On Demand via most cable and satellite systems along with many streaming apps and platforms.