Set during 3 trips to the front lines of the battle for Mosul, Iraq's second largest city and the logistical center for the Islamic State. We follow war correspondent Matt Brown as he reports on the biggest battle of this century, attached to both Kurdish forces and the Iraqi Army's elite Golden Division. We follow front lines troops as they secure the surroundings of Mosul city as well as pushing deep into the city to fight ISIS in urban combat. This is supplemented with interview of soldiers, civilians, and former high ranking military officials like US General David Patraeus, where we get a information about both life as a civilian under ISIS and the global implication of retaking this large city.
The film is unflinching in its depictions of life in war, it does not shy away from the ultimate evils of war such as child victims, executing prisoners, and describing the horrors of life under ISIS. Many scenes are tough to stomach but are essential to portraying the horrors of war. Like many other war documentaries, this film deals with the personal lives of soldiers and civilians. Soldiers describe why they are fighting such a terrifying enemy and civilians give a glimpse into the heartbreaking losses endured in war, such as lost family members and destroyed homes. The stories are emotionally gripping and respectfully filmed. Finally, former high ranking military officials who oversaw operation in Mosul during the American occupation discuss the implications of taking out ISIS's largest urban stronghold, and how it will affect the course of global jihad. We get an insight into why taking such a city is so difficult, why it is important to take Mosul, and how civilians are unavoidably in the crossfire. The only drawback to the film is that it ends halfway through the battle, just when the fighting is just about to become its heaviest.
In short, a great first film for Matt Brown and an important documentary about this century's largest battle. But it is too short and does not encompass the entire battle from start to finish.