A popular war drama starring Mark Wahlberg has returned to Netflix this month and some have even called it ‘perfect’ and the ‘best war movie ever made’. Released in 2013 and written and directed by Peter Berg, the film is based on the 2007 nonfiction book by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson which tells the true story of a Navy SEAL team sent on a high-stakes mission in Afghanistan during the war. The film shows the unsuccessful Operation Red Wings in 2005, a United States Navy SEAL mission in which a four-man reconnaissance and surveillance team was tasked with locating and capturing Taliban commander Ahmad Shah.
When the team is spotted, their mission quickly descends into a desperate fight for survival. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, and Eric Bana, and it has been praised for its intense battle sequences, emotional depth, and realistic portrayal of the sacrifices made by soldiers.
The film was selected by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures as one of the top 10 films of 2013 and received two Oscar nominations for Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing.
The Netflix synopsis reads: “It’s 2005, and a Navy SEAL team accepts a top-secret mission to hunt down a Taliban leader in the mountains of Afghanistan. But when the elite unit touches down, it’s not long before their mission is compromised, and they’re forced into a brutal fight for survival.”
One fan gave the film five stars on Rotten Tomatoes and called it the “best war movie ever made by far.” They added: “The emotion you feel from watching this will make you feel like you’re right there on the battle grounds with them in the moment. You feel for these men, truly feel! They do not make war movies like this anymore! I wish they would make more this good.”
At the time of the film’s release, Berg told Collider: “I knew that I wanted to pay respect to men who are willing to put themselves in between us and danger, evil. I knew that. I believe in that.
“What Marcus did when he wrote the book was he gave me the opportunity to settle down and experience what he and his brothers went through, and that meant a lot to me.
“One thing that I think Lone Survivor does, and certainly his book did it, is it gives an audience a chance to, in their own way, acknowledge what these guys are doing, and pay respect, sit for two hours.”
Another person added: “Truly perfect, while fun and action packed you also feel the emotional and mental damages of witnessing your friends die in front of you one by one, Mark’s performance here was truly spectacular.”
A veteran gave the film a perfect 10/10 score on IMDb and said the film is a “somber masterpiece.”
He added: “For those of you that have never worn a uniform, this movie will clearly show why we veterans will always be so close with each other. It’s something you can’t explain to others.
“It’s something you can’t put into words. You simply can’t learn it from a book. You have to live it to understand. The men you fight next to is what makes us brothers for life. That bond is shown in this movie.”
