It has the production value of a typical Hollywood action movie because essentially its an American movie but its not an American story. A different setting, different characters, different motivations, different language and story from a place we don't get many movies from. In the end it's definitely a worthy watch.
A group of self made swat soldiers fight against ISIS in their hometown of Mosul, Iraq.
Mosul
2019 [ARABIC]
Action / Drama / Thriller / War
Plot summary
When ISIS took their homes, families and city, one group of men fought to take it all back. Based on true events, this is the story of the Nineveh SWAT team, a renegade police unit who waged a guerrilla operation against ISIS in a desperate struggle to save their home city of Mosul.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
March 12, 2021 at 04:20 PM
Director
Tech specs
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A nice hidden gem
Underrated and realistic modern-war piece
Wow. I was positively surprised by this movie. After all the stereotyped, Americanized movies about the war in the Middle East this little film feels like a well-needed breath of fresh air. The action is packed and high class, the acting is sublime and even the plot itself is unique and interesting. It reminded me somewhat of the amazing Brazilian 'Elite Squad' movies, all-though this is a totally different war. The Iraqi actors are all doing an outstanding job in portraying the horrors of the war caused by the medieval terrorist machine that is ISIS. An absolute must-watch, not just for war-movies fans, but just for anyone to get a better view of the situation in this war-torn area of the world.
Nuanced and effecting
Bearing in mind that this is fiction, featuring actors, written and directed by an American, Mosul still has an authentic and sincere feel to it. The events covered are recent, and the wounds still very much raw, but the treatment seems fair.
The core story is the basic coming-of-age of a young policeman inducted into a SWAT team acting, essentially, as executioners, and he soon adopts that philosophy. Daesh behave like medieval savages, but the callousness and cruelty that this engenders on those fighting them isn't glossed over either. There are no heroes here - all the characters presented have quirks or flaws.
The acting, filming and production values are all generally decent, with some compelling performances from the leads. The combat sequences in particular are well done, with some admirable examples of snafus and fumbles that give them a gritty authentic feel.
The tone of the film is generally grim and downbeat, but there's a surprisingly affecting twist at the end when the unit's real mission is revealed. Even within that though, there's some further nuance that brings home that there are no easy, final victories over an ideology as actively evil as Daesh.
This is a commendable, thought provoking and thoroughly well made film that far exceeded my expectations.