Sand Castle

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mark g Strong movie, does a great job of showing the impact of camaraderie on soldiers at war. Regardless of your social standing or enthusiasm towards being there, it will hit you and be hard to shake. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/06/25 Full Review Viktor B If you are looking for a war drama, in which there is not a drop of Hollywood pathos, it will pleasantly surprise with its restraint and honesty. This film differs favourably from many similar pictures in that it lacks heroes in the spirit of ‘Rambo’, and no one tries to show the war as a feat in the name of glory. Here everything is much closer to reality - the soldiers are tired, afraid, doubtful, and this makes them alive and real. Nicholas Holt as Private Matt Okren conveys not the image of a superhero, but an ordinary guy who found himself in a situation much bigger than himself. Instead of loud speeches - silence and dust. Instead of epic battles - small but meaningful internal and external battles. Sand Castle is a look at war without illusions, respecting human frailty and trying to understand what happens on the other side of military orders. The film leaves an aftertaste of reflection rather than spectacle, and that is what makes it special. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/12/25 Full Review Aadam P It wasn’t clear if this movie was about war or character development but whichever it was I don’t think it was perfectly executed. It left me confused and wanting for more. I understand that some movies are meant to be that way but this just felt like I wasted two hours to watch guys talk nonsense and die. The plot wasn’t movie worthy and the characters didn’t open up enough for me to connect with them. The first mission with the hotel was confusing cause they never told why they were there and who they were up against. Some sniper on a building waiting for them and when they took him out the fire ended. Was it just one guy in the hotel? Why was he there? I don’t know. And the guys didn’t show enough emotions when they lost a friend. I felt nothing cause it seemed like they didn’t show enough emotions and I couldn’t grieve with them. I don’t recommend this movie. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 12/10/24 Full Review Audience Member Editing and pacing was kind of weird but I thought the story was good Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/05/24 Full Review Roux M I am an infantry veteran, and as a queer grunt who served under DADT, Hoult’s alienated civil affairs private resonated with me in a lot of ways. I served in the Surge era infantry and the futility of what we were doing hit me early on. I saw many of the people I served alongside in this movie; to those criticizing the juvenile behavior of these troops, this is what your warfighters were back then. A bunch of scared 18-24 year olds fighting phantom bandits with no measurable positive result, encouraging each other with false bravado and the pent up sexuality of an all-male unit. It wasn’t the most comfortable culture as a queer vet forced to hide who I was so I could stay on the job (which damaged unit cohesion, good riddance to DADT), and I empathized a lot with Hoult’s character sitting half in, half out of belonging by the end. You develop a desire to support and protect your friends and complete the mission, and that competes with your desire not to die for nothing in some godforsaken desert trying to drive a tanker full of water on a dirt road to nowhere. There are a large number of kids that bled and died over there, and for many of us who lived on, this movie reminds us we have a duty to do more to remember our battle buddies than just living with their ghosts; we have to tell their stories, big and small, and sustain each other in that mission. It’s been 13 years since I got out of the Army; I am the last one in my first squad left alive, and one of only 3 in the second, including the loss of both squad leaders. Most of those veterans died by their own hand. Please, if you are a vet in crisis, call somebody you served with, no matter how long you have gone without talking. The majority of my ghosts ended themselves in a hasty moment without trying to reach out and we all deserve so much better than that. It’s up to us to keep the memories of the ones that didn’t make it alive. We have a sacred obligation to support one another and honor those who could no longer shoulder the weight. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/22/24 Full Review Johannes S I can't build up a connection to any character whatsoever and the story is also a bit whacky, which makes the movie feel soulless. Most "action" scenes are just a front shot of an Army soldier shooting. To give them a bit of credit, some visuals and special effects are good. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 08/16/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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