War in Afghanistan – Matthew Liedke on Film

The war movie genre benefits overall from films that show the impacts of foreign conflicts back home. This is one of those films, but unfortunately, it’s not one of the category’s best.

“My Dead Friend Zoe” centers on U.S. Army veteran Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green), who’s back home in the United States after serving in Afghanistan. Lately, life has been hard for her, as she’s run into some trouble with the law, and forced to attend group therapy sessions because of trauma, though she can’t bring herself to speak about her experiences.

That trauma revolves around her friend Zoe, who passed away. However, she still sees Zoe often as a ghost who she speaks with regularly. Her life only gets more complicated when she is asked to take care of her estranged grandfather who has early Alzheimer’s. Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’ doesn’t commit to its bit, to its detriment”

A major battle during the War in Afghanistan where United States soldiers were completely out numbered is featured in this 2020 war movie.

The picture is set 11 years ago, in the fall of 2009, and follows United States soldiers who are stationed at Combat Outpost Keating. Life for the soldiers is never easy, as the outpost was labeled indefensible.

Centered in a valley and with an enemy threat constantly looming, it is difficult to keep the outpost safe and secure. This becomes most apparent in early October, when more than 300 Taliban insurgents attacked the location in what’s called the Battle of Kamdesh.

Continue reading “REVIEW: After slow start, ‘The Outpost’ rallies for strong finish”