Genre: War/Thriller
Director: Clint Eastwood
Writer: Jimmy Ellis
Cast: Casey Affleck, Jared Leto, Tommy Lee Jones, Billy Magnussen, John David Washington, Yvonne Strahovski, Luke Bracey, Jay Hernandez, Fionn Whitehead
Plot: April 1980 Russia, the film opens looking up to a barrel of a gun held by Aleksandr Kuznetsov (Jared Leto), the trigger is pulled and blood is around the screen, the camera pans out to show the person he shot was a young boy. Kuznetsov pulls out a handkerchief and whipes blood off his face. He then enters a car with his wife Edina Kuznetsov (Yvonne Strahovski) looking horrified.
Back to the United States now, 20 men arguing in a room with photographs of Aleksandr Kuznetsov across the table, General Halliday (Tommy Lee Jones) yells at everybody to be quiet and that he has a solution, he calls upon his smartest soldier Major Leo Adams (Casey Affleck) and tells him to assemble his men to go after Kuznetsov. Adams eyes flash as he remembers what happened all those years ago, while flying back home from a brief mission in Korea the pilot takes a turn and decides to fly low over Russia, as a result he is sniped between the eyes, and Russian flags are shown with the head of Kuznetsov on it, the Russians launch missiles targeted at the helicopter, however Adams jumps in the cockpit and flies them to safety. Adams goes to two of his men who are playing cards, them being, First Lieutenant Johnny Herman (Billy Magnussen) and Second Lieutenant Brackston Bishop (John David Washington) and tells them to get ready, they have the big one.
In a gymnasium Leo holds a meeting for his troops, he shows off the legend of Kuznetsov, vision is shown, Kuznetsov started as a teen training to fight for what the Bolsheveiks felt was right, he was shown killing his own brother to prove his loyalty to the last dying Bolsheveiks. Surrounded by military men with no way out Kuznetsov was forced to surrender. The military men run tests on his brain and fried it. He however escaped but was even more unstable then before, killing women and children for the fun of it. Leo stands and tells all of his troops that it is their choice wheteher they want in or out. After a few minutes of soldiers clearing out only 12 were left seated. Adams moves to a smaller more secluded room to speak with them.
Now in a small room, seated around a table, Major Leo Adams, Lieutenant Johnny Herman, Lieutenant Brackston Bishop, Captain Jonathan Hargreaves (Luke Bracey), Lieutenant Carlos Murillo (Jay Hernandez), Private John Carlson (Fionn Whitehead), talk about why they want to do this, take down Kuznetsov. Leo starts by saying that Kuznetsov killed his brother, the man flying the helicopter that day was his younger brother, Jerry and he shot him straight between the eyes. Herman is next, Johnny states that he wants to be accepted, he wants for the doubters to say he did it, he has gone through his whole life being called different names and mocked because people think he was gay, because he acted different. Brackston is next and quickly says, “I’m Black. Being brought up in the streets, I was bashed and shot and I have scars all over my body, from thugs like Kuznetsov.” Hargreaves, a loyal member of Leo’s team says that wherever the fight is he will be there, he can’t get enough of war and can’t go back home. Carlos Murillo says that whatever happens he wants to be remembered as the man who took down Kuznetsov. Young John Carlson doesn’t speak and just cries, his youth gets the best of him and he screams, Let’s get that son of a bitch.
The dozen men are in an aircraft traveling to Russia from their US Base. A few men are seen shaking and anxious of the trip. Leo Adams stands and motivates his men and tells them not to be afraid as no-one will be dying on this mission. He walks over to Captain Jonathan Hargreaves who is smoking and makes sure that he is ready for anything. Leo calls it in to base that they are just over Russia now. As soon as that happens they are shot down and crash on a paddock, ears ringing Leo looks around as petrol starts dripping into the chopper, nearly everyone one is crushed or impaled, he yells “GET OUT!” the surviving men, Jonathan Hargreaves, Brackston Bishop, Johnny Herman and Second Lieutenant Carlos Murillo crawl out of the chopper and run for safety, guns in hand behind trees.
Russian soldiers are heard running in and contacting somebody. After a few moments Aleksandr Kuznetsov drives in and gets out of the car, he senses something coming from the trees, and slowly approaches, the survivors start breathing heavy, when a l woman, face obscured comes from behind and tells them to follow her. A Russian soldier yells out to Aleksandr, he heads back to the chopper and a John Carlson is there crawling from out of it, he looks up to Kuznetsov, Kuznetsov grabs a knife from its sheath and begins stabbing the young man.
While following the lady the men are not sure if she can be trusted. Leo is attempting to contact the base, but it cannot be done. He walks toward the woman and asks for her name, she says that she is someone that can help them, however he doesn’t know why. They arrive at a little shack where they will be staying and the woman reveals her face and tells them her name, Edina Kuznetsov. The men immediately pull their guns on her but she calms them down. The survivors and Edina sit around a table and talk about her husband, she wants him to be stopped at any cost, and she explains while tearing up that he is killing children. While giving the men inside knowledge she mentions that there is a mole inside the US Government.
Meanwhile at the Kusnetsov mansion Aleksandr is becoming furious at the whereabouts of his wife and send men out to find her, he gives them a list of places she may be. He is seated waiting for his dinner, the servant brings it out. Aleksandr hates the overcooked meat in the stew, he storms into the kitchen with a handgun and aims it at the head of the chef and pulls the trigger.
Still telling the survivors about her husband’s diabolic plans Edina hears voices speaking Russian. She just believes that it was all in her head, however 5 Russian soldiers break the door down and see the Americans, they start firing weapons and shoot Captain Jonathan Hargreaves in the head, blood spirting everywhere, they also manage to hit Brackston Bishop in the arm, however only injure him. Edina has a handgun and shoots the first Russian before the Americans gun down the rest. They run out the back door suspecting men will come after them, Bishop however starts bleeding more and more until he can’t walk anymore, they find a shelter up the road a bit.
Edina panicking tells Leo that she must go back to her husband and also tells him where they live, to come and kill him.
Aleksandr is at a helicopter pad on top of his mansion waiting for someone to arrive an old man only seen by his grey hair walks off the helicopter and Aleksandr greets him. When he walks back inside Edina is there and waiting to embrace her husband.
Bishop and Herman get an emotional scene of him bleeding out. Herman, Adams and Murillo aim to finish the mission or die trying. They head off to find the mansion and to kill Aleksandr.
The survivors find the mansion and need a way to sneak in. They see an open side door just begging for them to go inside with no guards on standby. While in the mansion they hide behind items to not be seen. Adams hears Edina’s screams coming from a room and gets the men to follow him, they burst into the room where we see, Aleksandr attacking Edina, Adams aims a gun at the head of Aleksandr, wanting to pull the trigger. The toilet in the next room is flushed and out comes General Vincent Halliday, instead of aiming the gun at Aleksandr he aims it at Halliday, Aleksandr goes for his knife in his sheath but it is already gone, Edina has it and stabs him in between his ribs and twists. Leo pleads with Vincent to please tell him that it is not true and that Halliday is still a good man. Halliday complains that he has served his country for well over 40 years and Nothing, he gets Nothing in return. Halliday says sorry and shoots his gun at Adams as Adams shoots his. Johnny Herman dives in front of Leo Adams and the bullet hits him, bleeding profusely Leo has him in his arms. Herman says that at least he is with Brackston now.
Halliday is dead with a satellite phone in his pocket, Leo picks it up and calls the US Base, for a pickup. BANG! A gunshot goes off, Carlos drops dead, Leo turns around and it is Edina with the gun in her hand aiming it at Leo. She says “Do you really think he was in charge?” BANG!
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