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12 Strong

12 Strong

War · Action · History · 2018

A team of special forces head into Afghanistan in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks in an attempt to dismantle the Taliban.

Movie details

12 Strong

“The declassified true story of the horse soldiers”

2018 War · Action · History 2h 10m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

A team of special forces head into Afghanistan in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks in an attempt to dismantle the Taliban.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over 12 Strong?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Hyena Road

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Three different men, three different worlds, three different wars – all stand at the intersection of modern warfare – a murky world of fluid morality where all is not as it seems. A unique and dramatic look at the Canadian Army in Afghanistan.

The Great Raid

The Great Raid

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The Man with the Iron Heart

The Man with the Iron Heart

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With the Third Reich at its peak in 1942, the Czech resistance in London plans the most ambitious military operation of WWII – Anthropoid. Two young recruits are sent to Prague to assassinate the most ruthless Nazi leader – Reinhard Heydrich, head of the Reich Security Main Office, the Gestapo and the architect of the Final Solution.

Guy Ritchie's The Covenant

Guy Ritchie's The Covenant

War · 2023

After an ambush, Afghan interpreter Ahmed goes to Herculean lengths to save US Army Sergeant John Kinley's life. When Kinley learns that Ahmed and his family were not given safe passage to America as promised, he must return to the war zone and repay his debt.

Black Hawk Down

Black Hawk Down

Action · 2001

When U.S. Rangers and an elite Delta Force team attempt to kidnap two underlings of a Somali warlord, their Black Hawk helicopters are shot down, and the Americans suffer heavy casualties, facing intense fighting from the militia on the ground.

Lone Survivor

Lone Survivor

War · 2013

Four Navy SEALs on a covert mission to neutralize a high-level Taliban operative must make an impossible moral decision in the mountains of Afghanistan that leads them into an enemy ambush. As they confront unthinkable odds, the SEALs must find reserves of strength and resilience to fight to the finish.

The Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen

Action · 1967

12 American military prisoners in World War II are ordered to infiltrate a well-guarded enemy château and kill the Nazi officers vacationing there. The soldiers, most of whom are facing death sentences for a variety of violent crimes, agree to the mission and the possible commuting of their sentences.

Letters from Iwo Jima

Letters from Iwo Jima

Action · 2006

The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.

Twelve O'Clock High

Twelve O'Clock High

War · 1949

In the early days of daylight bombing raids over Germany, General Frank Savage must take command of a 'hard luck' bomber group. Much of the story deals with his struggle to whip his group into a disciplined fighting unit in spite of heavy losses, and withering attacks by German fighters over their targets.

The Kill Team

The Kill Team

War · 2019

When Andrew Briggman — a young soldier in the US Army during the invasion of Afghanistan — witnesses the murderous behavior of fellow soldiers, under the direction of a malevolent Sergeant, he faces a moral dilemma. His increasingly-violent platoon becomes suspicious that someone in their ranks has turned on them, and Andrew begins to fear for his safety. A fictionalized dramatization based on a true story.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Nicolai Fuglsig

Written by

Ted Tally · Peter Craig

Chris Hemsworth

Chris Hemsworth

Mitch Nelson

Michael Shannon

Michael Shannon

Hal Spencer

Michael Peña

Michael Peña

Sam Diller

Navid Negahban

Navid Negahban

General Dostum

Trevante Rhodes

Trevante Rhodes

Ben Milo

Geoff Stults

Geoff Stults

Sean Coffers

Thad Luckinbill

Thad Luckinbill

Vern Michaels

Court is in session

Put 12 Strong on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.