‘Underrated’ war film with ‘amazing actors’ is on Netflix | Films | Entertainment
Fans of war dramas are being urged to watch a movie on Netflix that is based on the true story of a soldier in the Iraq War. The film, which is one of many war dramas on Netflix, is set in 2003, at the start of the war, and follows Matt Ocre, a young civil affairs soldier with the Army Reserve.
He had enlisted in July 2001 in order to earn some money for college and his squad was tasked with repairing a broken water system in the dangerous village of Baqubah. The film was written by Chris Roessner and was inspired by his experience as a soldier in the Iraq War.
The film in question, Sand Castle, recalls his story as a machine gunner in Iraq’s Sunni Triangle and it stars Nicholas Hoult in the lead role. The movie stars plenty of huge names, including Logan Marshall-Green and Henry Cavill as Sergeant Harper and Captain Syverson respectively.
Sand Castle’s official synopsis reads: “An inexperienced American private discovers the true cost of war when his unit is sent on a dangerous mission to repair a water pumping station in a rural Iraqi village.” On the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, the film only has a 47 percent approval rating from critics, but viewers at home disagree with the mediocre score.
They flocked to share their thoughts, with many calling it an “underrated” film, and there was plenty of praise for the actors’ performances.
Collider said: “Cavill’s often a much better actor than he’s given credit for, as he proved in the underrated 2017 Netflix film, Sand Castle.
“There’s a value in Cavill taking a chance on this smaller film — he gets to show his darker side, humility, and ability to elevate those around him.
“While there are many films about the Iraq War that have attempted to summarize the lessons learned from the war on terror, Sand Castle has a general sense of bleakness that Cavill latches on to. He gives one of the performances of his career as Captain Syverson, a veteran Special Forces operative who gradually becomes aware of his irrelevance.”
Taking to IMDb reviews to share their thoughts, jillian_altmann called it an “enjoyable and underrated movie”, adding: “Sand Castle (2017) was an amazing depiction of the mental and physical struggles a soldier goes through before, during, and after war.
“The characters showed immense pain, fear, pleasure, exhaustion, etc. which made the film that more believable and authentic.
“I thoroughly enjoyed this film and am now a fan of the amazing actors and actresses who were cast. Would definitely recommend.”
Erikw-47823 hailed it “one of the best war movies ever seen”, expanding: “Ever wanted a movie that portrays the life of a platoon of soldiers? Well, here you go, one of the best war movies I’ve ever seen!
“10/10 by far. This movie has so many incredible features, cast, vehicles and incredibly real explosions. In one scene, there is a big explosion and Private Ocre is thrown to the ground and you can actually hear the way his ears have gone partially deaf for a moment. Overall, greatest movie of 2017!”
Habat branded it a “masterpiece”, adding: “Everything is perfect in this movie, especially the photography, the sound, the blank spaces, the action scenes and the soundtrack. Lots of details have been captured to the point where you can feel yourself immersed in a first-person perspective in the movie.”
The film also stars Glen Powell as SGT Chutsky and Tommy Flanagan as SGM McGregor.
Sand Castle is on Netflix now
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