In 2013, writer/director Dan Krauss’s The Kill Team won Best Documentary Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival. Six years later, Krauss returned to Tribeca to debut his cinematic interpretation of the documentary’s jarring events – the execution of innocent Afghan civilians by a group of U.S. Military soldiers – in his narrative feature film of the same name. The Kill Team may not uncover new information about these horrific stains on our military’s past, but the star power attached may help this story reach new audiences in hopes that history doesn’t repeat itself.
Impending deployment to Afghanistan, Andrew Briggman (Nat Wolff) is a born leader ready to join the front lines. Shortly after arriving at base camp, his squad is introduced to Sergeant Deeks (Alexander Skarsgård), a commanding figure who makes his goal very clear: “We kill people, that’s what we do.” Deeks is blunt when it comes to stating his position, riling up the soldiers and creating a tense, testosterone-filled atmosphere. This is far beyond fraternity bullying as the squad members unleash their aggression by killing innocent civilians with actions that were encouraged by Deeks himself. Troubled by his association with the murders and burdened by guilt, Briggman begins to have second thoughts about the intentions of his commander and the purpose of the mission at large.
The idea of the “hero soldier” that Briggman once aspired to be, turns into an illusion before his eyes. Instead, he now finds himself in a moral tug of war between what he knows is right vs the consequences of betraying the trust of his military brothers. Briggman questions: should he do the right thing and put himself in danger or shut up and deal with it? This hypothetical question further illustrates that the effects of war aren’t just from physical battles, but mental ones as well.
Nat Wolff’s portrayal of a young soldier fighting through his worst-case scenario creates an emotionally deft performance. His vulnerability remains at the surface throughout the film’s entirety, making him easy to root for despite his conflicting behavior. Alexander Skarsgård’s dark charisma is frightening as we can easily understand how these impressionable soldiers fell under his macho spell. The Kill Team is not just another war movie; this time, the enemy is the home team. The biggest takeaway here is an awareness of the awful, yet real-life events, that took place not that long ago, and the harsh realization that not all soldiers are saints. – Morgan Rojas
THE KILL TEAM (2019)
Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Nat Wolff, Adam Long
Directed by: Dan Krauss
Written by: Dan Krauss
Distributor: A24
Running time: 87 minutes
Playing: In Theaters and On Demand October 25
