Something of an antidote to the American flag-waving of last year’s Lone Survivor, this visceral British war movie (filmed in Jordan) recounts the true-life tale of British forces in Helmand province in 2006. Stationed at the Kajaki dam, the men of the 3 Para are left fighting for their lives on a long-forgotten minefield (a legacy of the Russian campaign in the 80s) which turns the slightest move into a dance of death. It’s gripping and tense, unsqueamish in its depiction of injury, convincing in its portrayal of warfare. While the film-makers are clearly keen to pay tribute to the heroism of those involved, the film itself wisely avoids glib romanticism, opting instead for gruelling realism.
