The Outpost (2019) User Reviews

Finally a movie that's accurate.

[rody1141 · 8/10 · 6 July 2020]

I did two combat deployments to Afghanistan and one to Iraq. I can tell you without a doubt this movie is the most accurate representation of FOB/COP life, soldier lingo, and to an extent the combat.

Most reviews I've read complain of sub-par dialogue and not a clear story as to what was going on prior to the attack, but I bet that most of the reviews were from people who have never been to war. In war Dialogue between soldiers is not interesting, it's dark, unfiltered, and usually disgusting. We degrade each other, fight each other, we say things so offensive and disgusting that most people would think we have issues. In war you also don't always have a clear cut mission that you can make into some grand Hollywood story. When you deploy you are supposed to find bad guys and help locals, that's it. Those hoping war has some interesting story will be disappointed. You sit around bored, exhausted, missing home, working out, eating garbage food, piss in tubes/bottles (first movie I've seen that showed the bottles), burn your own crap, watch movies, go on patrol and hope you don't get blasted in an IED. Every so often you get a big mission where the combat gets intense. Then it's rinse and repeat, that's how it is and I'm sure prior to the attack, that's how life on Keating was. This movie depicts life in the military so accurately that I was like "my gosh finally someone did it, they got it right it". So to anyone reading this, this is as real as you'll find it until something else is made. All those who talk smack about it are idiot keyboard warriors.

The combat itself is good, explosions look real even the CGI ones were ok, none of that dumb fireball explosion crap, the dust and smoke generated from shooting and explosions to the point the soldiers in the movie were coughing from it was legit. Now I wasn't in this battle but I've been in my fair share of fights I can tell you that tracer rounds aren't as fruitful as you see here. Most of the time you get shot at and have no idea where it came from except maybe a general direction. Muzzle flashes also are hard to see unless it's at night and you could see them all over in this movie. Usually you just see dust or smoke from where they shot, not flashes. But Hollywood has to do this for the effect as it does makes firefights look cool and without seeing tracer bullets whiz by it takes away from the intensity.

Also the soldiers were able to yell and talk to each other from long distances. Yea that doesn't happen, war is ungodly loud, you have to be screaming in a dudes ear to hear you.

When the air support showed up finally, how it was being controlled didn't make sense, but that's just me being nit picky as not many people know what the hell is going on with that.

The tactics were decent, you could tell there was some military advising for sure but some things didn't make sense. Not sure if that's how it happened or just Hollywood though.

Overall if you want to watch the most realistic depiction of how the war in Afghanistan is, this is it. To all the naysayers saying this is garbage, hate the way the soldiers talk to each other, or wish there was a more clear story/mission, you obviously have never been there.

RIP to all the fallen in this battle.

An extremely visceral re-telling of a forgotten battle in Aghanistan

[azanti0029 · 8/10 · 4 July 2020]

PREMISE - The Outpost depicts the battle of Outpost Keating, known as the Battle of Kamdesh, which took place on October 3rd 2009, close to the border with Pakistan in Afghanistan. The Outpost itself was located on the bend of a river in a valley, completely overlooked by high mountains on all sides. It was simply put, a nigntmare to defend and a prime target to over run. So it would be that 300 Taliban fighters would attempt to do just that over two fateful days that October. In addition to the harsh terrain the location had other issues. Helicopter re-supply was extremely challenging and dangerous and could only be conducted at night (A previous re-supply attempted killed 12 people, not depicted in the movie) meaning only night landings when there was no moon were possible. Due the nature of the base being located effectively in the bottom of a funnel, in-direct fire support from artillary was impossible and the nearest close air-support was thirty minutes away. Into this nightmare scenario 53 American Soldiers were expected to defend the worst position possible, so the stage was set for a modern day Zulu and one of the bloodiest close quarter conflicts of the war in Afghanistan.

THE CAST - Casting here is impressive and suspiciously full of the children and grandchildren of famous actors and directors. (Jagger, Gibson, Eastwood, Attenborough) Knowing full well that it is difficult to often tell men apart in uniform during depictions of conflict on screen, we have an interesting range of faces, the most easy to spot of which is SCOTT EASTWOOD, proving to be every bit his Father's son as Staff Sgt Clint Romesha, he and CALEB LANDRY JONES both give stand out performances but the rest of the cast are solid too, special mentions to: CORY HARDRICT, TAYLOR JOHN SMITH. and the ever dependable JACK KESY. Senior Officers are played by MILO GIBSON (Whose making a good name for himself despite the challenge of having to fill size 22 shoes) and ORLANDO BLOOM, who appears to have come full circle from playing PFC Blackburn in Blackhawk Down to playing Captain Keating here, whom the camp was ultimately named after. A number of younger British actors do incredibly well and even Producer JOHNATHAN YUNGER gets in on the action!

PRODUCTION - The film was predominantly shot in Bulgaria, as you would expect for a film being produced by Millenium Pictures, but the set up for the camp is convincing and adequately conveys the issues facing the defenders, although the depiction of the terrain is slightly different. The first half of the film tells the story of the various officers who were stationed at the camp before leaving the final third of the film to depict the battle. It is here where ex-soldier turned director ROD LURIE and DOP LORENZO SENATORE do a superb job of giving us a balls to the wall depiction of the final assault and place you firmly in the middle of it, making me regret I could not have experienced the sequence on the big screen. Several long takes (all the rage these days) give a very realistic depiction of following one character in the battle, then another. They also employ a clever techique of depicting the deaths of the real personnel involved, seen primarily form the third person, which felt like a sensible and sensitive approach to the issue in question. One of the most dependable sargeants is wounded early on during the firefight which has an impact on the battle morale of the soldiers whom find themselves fighting for their lives minute by minute. Enough screen time is given to depicting the local political problems facing the American officers, who did their best under extremely challenging circumstances to placate locals.

OVERALL - This film is one of the best depictions of close quarter fighting since Blackhawk Down and is extremely well handled. Some of the earlier dialogue between the soldiers lets the film down a little bit. Yes, we know soldiers do talk like this from time to time but some of lines are cringeworthy to say the least and I am sure this dialogue could have easily been improved upon, but minor gripes aside the film is a pretty gripping depiction of a stupid military blunder which cost the lives of several young men, completely unnecessarily. It does seem a shame however, that the release of this film, may have torpedoed a second film on the subject (RED PLATOON) based on the book written by Medal of Honour winner Clinton Romesha (Played by Scott Eastwood) - Eastwood was not able to speak to Romesha when researching the role he depicted due to this conflict which feels a real shame. So it is possible, we might see a second film depicting the battle. Bring it on.

A story of true valor

[jmmock · 8/10 · 7 July 2020]

This movie (despite its occasional poor reviews) is fantastic. On a film basis, the movie does a great job introducing you to characters you'd want to learn the true story of. I read the book by Clinton Romesha (depicted by Scott Eastwood) last year entitled "Red Platoon" and always had an interest in learning more about the events that unfolded that day. This movie, in my opinion, did the book justice. As far as filmography is concerned, it was great. Realistic action, gunfire, explosions, etc. that youd expect to see in a war movie. The added aspect of realism was the trauma that you can see in the actors portrayal of their characters eyes that can only be a glimpse into what they experienced. Watch the movie, read the book, or vice-versa. Just remember the names.

Rarely is a film made from a book more accurate than the book, but in this case it is more accurate than Tapper's error ridden book

[random-70778 · 8 August 2020]

I was a 2LT on my first deployment to Afghanistan and a Captain by my third. I am guessing that the film producers used some top notch military advisors, because, frankly, the book was sloppily written and full of cliches and errors on many levels. But the film itself is, for the already problematic and almost never accurate in detail or large picture, genre of war film, quite a good film. On of the professional reviewers I read complained about troops "bullying each other." Really? WTF. That is very accurate and perfectly natural. Everyone is on the edge of their nerves and the banter you hear is accurate. There are a few small technical problems with the way the Taliban troops are shown to deploy and fight. But overall what you are looking at in this film is fairly true. Could it have done more to convey the visceral nature of the fighting around some of the FOB and outposts? Yes, but I am not sure how.

Give it a watch.

surprinsingly good

[frogcilfruit · 7/10 · 17 September 2020]

I came to this as a silly B action flick, but it was very well acted, directed and edited. It feels very realistic and intense, and way more profound than I thought it would be. You come to care deeply for these guys and the absurdity of their sacrifice, the stupidity of war, especially in these circumstances. It ended up being way more moving, interesting and even thought-provoking than your typical dumb action blockbuster, as fast paced as it is.

The mission was survival 7/10

[saadanathan · 7/10 · 1 May 2022]

The Outpost, directed by Rod Lurie and based on the book by Jack Tapper is a brilliant film about survival and strength faced upon certain death.

The movie is based on the true story of the battle of Kamdesh, one of the hardest battles fought in the war in Afghanistan.

The movie centers around the soldiers who fought during the battle, who had to watch their friends die, and lived to tell this story in memoriam of those they lost.

The movie is brilliant because of 2 elements in my mind: the first one being telling a good story about survival, and courage the soldiers showed during battle that saved their friends. In general I love war movies that tell a story of courage and that in the end we get to know the true figures of the story. The movie experts in showing the audience who those men were and why they are important to remember.

The second thing that makes this movie brilliant is the filming. For example, one of the first scenes of the movie is a long shot that indicates the horrible strategic location of the Outpost, how the characters are completely exposed to enemy fire. Moreover, the over the shoulder filming is great as well, the camera movements following the characters throughout the film gives a more realistic point of view and image.

In conclusion, The movie is based on real events and in my opinion it does a great job giving full respect to the story and its events surrounding it.

The cast was fantastic and really compelling, the cinematography was very well done. Overall a good movie that I recommend for those who are into it.

A surprisingly great war film.

[SnobReviews · 7/10 · 21 July 2020]

"The Outpost" is surprisingly a well executed, well acted and intense film about the war in Afghanistan. I was hooked from beginning to end. . In this war drama based on a true story, a small team of U.S. soldiers battle against hundreds of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. . Director Rod Lurie takes the viewers inside the outpost rarely ever showing the enemy but always showing the bond between brothers. Scott Eastwood and Caleb Landry Jones are terrific in their roles and the action sequences are pulse-pounding. I started this review off with the word "surprising"; and being a B-movie I didn't expect much from "The Outpost". Turns out I was wrong and you should see this film. . Follow @snobmedia for all reviews!

Shows the true boredom and terror of combat

[jonnyvans1230 · 9/10 · 1 August 2020]

11 year army veteran. This rates in my top 3 films for realism and truth to the combat experience. Uniforms to terminology, they nailed it. Thank you for making this film and putting in the research.

real story done well

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 23 October 2020]

PRT Kamdesh was built in a remote Afghan valley surrounded by the Hindu Kush mountains. The American soldiers defend the badly situated camp against constant attacks from positions above. In 2006, 55 allied soldiers are attacked by an estimated 400 enemy force.

It's a compelling story and a harrowing fight for survival. The battle is riveting. It's based on the true events. Scott Eastwood is probably the most recognizable face. He also has the John Wayne character. It is a real life story partly turned into a John Wayne movie. That's probably its weakest aspect where the enemy is always standing up right and taking a full load of bullets in the chest. For some reason, they are gathered up in a group always ready to be mowed down. The Rambo sensibility is its Archilles' heel. The battle is still top level action although the soldiers really need to dig underground tunnel access to the ammunition depot instead of playing cards, pumping iron, or jerking off to other people's wives. The other minor issue is the large number of characters. It's to be expected from this real life war story. In some ways, this may be better as a limited series on a streaming service. It deserves a six hour treatment. As it stands at two hours, it's a bit too long for a theatrical movie anyways. All in all, this is a compelling true story done relatively well.

Finally!

[madtomflint-99750 · 9/10 · 11 July 2020]

I didn't even know this movie was being made, but I first heard about it when it was touted as a "pro-America military movie." I wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but it sounded better than the alternative.

I served in Operation Enduring Freedom 7 and 8, in a little Forward Operating Base called FOB Tillman, named after Army Ranger Pat Tillman who died in that area (Paktika Province of Afghanistan, a few kilometers from the Paki border). We were one small Infantry company (A Company, 2/87) in a remote area, which was populated by neutral locals and Taliban forces. The American media called it a "hot zone," and it was. The similarities between the setting in The Outpost and the reality of my unit's experiences are startling. Obviously, I'm a biased reviewer.

That being said: I thought this movie was incredible! There were a couple of things I questioned the accuracy of, like soldiers firing full-auto M4s and the somewhat casual behavior of soldiers in an obvious death trap; but overall this movie gets just about everything right. Down to the small details like the water bottle used as counterweights to keep the exterior doors closed, and the local Afghan elder with the red dye in his beard. Those are the kinds of details that SO many Hollywood interpretations overlook. Also, the story this movie relates is an incredible tale of heroism, sacrifice and brotherhood, which really are common in the US military. Watching this film was a cathartic experience for me, as well as an enjoyable movie-going one.

Gripping, gritty war drama

[grantss · 7/10 · 20 November 2020]

Situated in an isolated area of Afghanistan, Combat Outpost Keating is manned by a small force of US Army soldiers and very vulnerable to attack. After years of sporadic, light attacks, in October 2009 the Taliban attack in force. The odds are massively stacked against the defenders.

Based on the true story of the Battle of Kamdesh, The Outpost does a great job of portraying the terror, confusion, camaraderie and bravery of soldiers in battle. Very realistic, giving the viewer the feeling for what an infantry battle must be like.

Very emotional too, especially towards the end.

Not perfect though. The set-up feels clumsy and long-winded. I get that the director is trying to show the bonds between the men but it seems forced and doesn't actually achieve the engagement level he is aiming for.

Overall, worth watching.

One of the most Authentic war films I have seen

[matthewwallace-53692 · 9/10 · 3 July 2020]

Very accurately captures how soldiers interact with one another. The trailer worried me with a few "Hollywood" sounding one-liners but the dialogue, action sequences and genuine experience make it very authentic. I really enjoy how the film highlights the various leadership styles and approaches from those in command. This is a great film that I hope gets more attention 9/10.

Action Packed Story Of Courage In The Face Of Overwhelming Odds

[omendata · 7/10 · 11 August 2020]

And all us action fans have loved movies like these since the days of movies like Zulu Dawn. This movie packs a punch, it does have a slow buildup but this is for effect and to lead us slowly into what could only be described as a hells cauldron.

It is rare to see action sequences as true to life as this and it really does leave the viewer reeling from the situation these guys were put in by the usual incompetent higher up in command as is always the case it seems since WWI and it has not changed. Some great performances and a fitting tribute to the brave guys who died defending an indefensible position in the war.

Boring and predictable

[BorisJohnson8924 · 1/10 · 9 June 2021]

Nothing special, usual Hollywood nonsense that glorifies an army that shouldn't have been there to begin with. Usual narrative - angelic soldiers taking on an enemy that's so dumb, they'll openly run into the line of fire (of course).

Surprisingly intense

[Gordon-11 · 4 July 2020]

I thought this would be a B movie, but it is actually really good. It is truly intense, and brings you to the outpost where you feel threatened and desperate. I really enjoyed it.

Very close to true events that actually happened in Kamdesh

[syed3797ali · 7/10 · 9 August 2020]

Indefensible outposts are still there. The movie is well plotted basing upon the actual events. A painful memoir.

Good movie, highlights the stupidity of wars

[premkrmufc · 7/10 · 4 July 2020]

The movie portrays the suffering of young men sent to a part of world they don't understand just because someone on top was too dumb to know better .

Far better than I expected

[Sergiodave · 7/10 · 9 June 2021]

Ignore the low ratings for this movie. Wasn't expecting much from an Amazon Original production, but this movie surprised me. The acting was fine, not Oscar level, but more than adequate. What made it great was the plot, together with a lot of intensity. This was a lot better than most war movies I've seen of late.

Great war movie, don't get demotivated by the naysayers

[pedro380085 · 8/10 · 5 July 2020]

This is a great movie. Indeed there are, but there are a couple of great things about it:

• this was a movie based on true events
• the action scenes are exciting and provide an engaging visual felling
• there is no sugar coating, the actions depicted on the movie real and truthful

It follows a similar line to 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, which I liked a lot too. The storytelling around the lives of each soldier are built differently, but the goal here is not to explore the lives of each of them, but to understand the challenges of fighting a war in a place clearly indefensible. There are no protections against the mountains and everyone knows it, even the viewer as you get the first glimpse of the environment the soldiers were put in.

I recommend this movie and I think you will like it if you also like movie based on true events.

well worth the watch

[dOgZbOdY · 7/10 · 22 July 2020]

A bit slow at the start ... but wow what a fire fight ......

Great film.

[B3ansOnToast · 8/10 · 26 July 2023]

I only go off what I have read, what I know from people that served and had the chance to speak to and what I generally have seen in other films.

This is one of those films that depicts the chaos and brutality of war a bit too close to reality and it's not pretty so people tend to judge it harshly because it's hard to understand or accept something if you haven't experienced it. The battle sequences are nothing short of breathtaking. The filmmakers have meticulously crafted these scenes to make us feel as if we are right alongside the soldiers, experiencing every adrenaline-pumping moment. Great!

In terms of the cast, their performances add depth to the characters and make the emotional impact of the story more potent. As bullets fly by we see the extent of their bravery, determination, commitment and camaraderie. I also loved hearing the interviews at the end. Another reminder of the sacrifices made.

I was there.

[majorebanez · 7/10 · 16 November 2023]

This was my unit, I was there during this attack. First off I wanna say I had nothing to do with the making of this movie, I never gave advice or story towards this. I was not asked by anyone for a character of me to be played by an actor. To be honest I wish they didn't make this movie, the actions that day where for us only, not for the world to see in a Hollywood movie. As for the movie itself it was somewhat realistic of the events but once again it's made by Hollywood and made to look heroic when it wasn't, we almost lost the COP that day as well as our lives. 90% of the time the boredom was unbearable. Not sure what else to say, some movies don't need to be made and just left alone.

Wow, this was intense!

[joao-neves95 · 9/10 · 19 July 2020]

This was very well made. Some soldiers that were on the battle participated as actors, giving it even more realism. All actors did an amazing job. They made me stick my eyes to the screen and not blink until the movie was over. The sound engineering was insanely good, as well as the post-production editing. I will not spoil the battle to anyone reading, but I can say that my heart was pumping like I was there. Great job!

I don't understand how this movie has less than 7 stars and also why garbage insignificant "woke" movies have the same rating as this one. Wake up.

Lots of filler, little substance.

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 7/10 · 4 July 2020]

I felt like I was playing Call of Duty for 5 hours. A mishmash of battles and irrelevant dialogue, for a basic mission. Sadly, I wasn't participating in this conflict. The realism was excellent, although heavily drawn out by a screenplay that needed to be much tighter. The casting was excellent and I felt although not all performances where great, they were convincingly real and emotional. It's not your typical Hollywood war film, but instead one of true grit war films that honors the real life soldiers that were KIA or able to return home. Your eyes will be glued to the screen, but you'll be left unsatisfied with the overall storytelling.

Gritty memorial to soldiers' valour in the face of US military command incompetence

[frosteliza · 5/10 · 3 July 2020]

I'm not going to discuss the political aspects of this film, as it deals with them with about as much insight as John Wayne and The Green Berets does the Vietnam conflict. This film is rather more a memorial to some very brave US soldiers who lost their lives through monumental command stupidity when a 'hearts and minds' US Military Outpost was placed (even to my militarily-untrained eye) in the most ridiculous location in Afghanistan (or indeed the entire Middle East), as was apparently acknowledged both before and after the event by the US Military themselves. Based on a true story, the film is basically a record of repeated attacks on the outpost by the Taliban, and the soldiers' attempts to defend the indefensible, interspersed with the usual soldierly chit-chat and team-building. I'm not entirely convinced that the real soldiers (US Cavalry veterans) who died would be entirely happy with the way their Hollywood counterparts portrayed them - for example, that no serious effort was made to secure or patrol the surrounding heights throughout the repeated attacks, even though the attacks always came from the same place. Furthermore, the soldiers are presented as chiefly concerned with the chit-chat instead of being careful - like keeping to cover, and not strolling across an IED-lined river bridge chatting happily to your mate. For the first three quarters of the movie, the firefights are chiefly of soldiers shooting at an apparently empty hillside, and it difficult to feel compassion when someone gets killed because they are all in the same camo and helmets and you can't really tell who's who. This is something the director obviously realised post-production, as the film is heavily overlaid with titles saying who is who, and also where they are (as the location is also pretty samey). However, in the effort to be fair to all the combatants, there are just too many to remember, and the only one who really sticks is Clint Eastwood Junior, sporting a ridiculous moustache. The barrack-room backchat is heavily-scripted, un-funny and generally pointless, adding to the difficulty in caring about the characters. It may be that this is real US army-talk - regardless, it isn't entertaining to listen to. The firefights are confusing and, I suspect, grittily realistic. Unfortunately, this makes them unsatisfactory to watch as you, the viewer, have no more idea what's going on, where the enemy is, or who is shooting at who, than the soldiers themselves. In summary, the film is a sound memorial to the soldiers who died and an excellent lesson for West Point in military stupidity - but as a war-film it lacks a sharp script, necessary character development, any real insight into the Afghan conflict, or the kind of close direction required for complex battle sequences to be comprehensible.