Henry Cavill stars in the film (Image: NETFLIX)
Enthusiasts of war dramas are being encouraged to watch a film on Netflix that draws from the real-life account of a soldier during the Iraq War. The picture, among numerous war dramas available on Netflix, is set in 2003, at the conflict’s outset, and centres on Matt Ocre, a young civil affairs soldier serving with the Army Reserve.
He had signed up in July 2001 to help fund his college education and his unit was assigned to fix a damaged water system in the perilous village of Baqubah. The screenplay was penned by Chris Roessner and drew upon his own experiences as a serviceman in the Iraq War.
The film under discussion, Sand Castle, recounts his journey as a machine gunner in Iraq’s Sunni Triangle and features Nicholas Hoult in the principal role. The picture boasts an impressive cast of well-known actors, with Logan Marshall-Green and Henry Cavill portraying Sergeant Harper and Captain Syverson respectively.
Sand Castle’s official synopsis states: “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 platform Rotten Tomatoes, the picture holds just a 47 per cent approval rating from critics, though audiences at home take issue with the lukewarm score.
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The film is based on real events(Image: NETFLIX)
They rushed to share their views, with many branding it an “underrated” picture, and there was considerable acclaim for the cast’s performances. Collider remarked: “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.”
On IMDb, reviewer jillian_altmann described it as an “enjoyable and underrated movie”, noting: “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.”
Fans have hailed the war drama a ‘masterpiece'(Image: NETFLIX)
Meanwhile, Erikw-47823 praised it as “one of the best war movies ever seen”, elaborating: “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 described it as a “masterpiece”, stating: “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’s cast also includes Glen Powell as SGT Chutsky and Tommy Flanagan as SGM McGregor.
Luke Evans had initially signed on for the role of Sergeant Harper, the leader of a platoon, but he was replaced by Logan Marshall-Green in October 2015.
Sand Castle is available to stream on Netflix now.