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The Beast

The Beast

War · Drama · 1988

During the war in Afghanistan a Soviet tank crew commanded by a tyrannical officer find themselves lost and in a struggle against a band of Mujahadeen guerrillas in the mountains.

Movie details

The Beast

“War brings out the beast in every man.”

1988 War · Drama 1h 51m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.1 / 10

Community rating

During the war in Afghanistan a Soviet tank crew commanded by a tyrannical officer find themselves lost and in a struggle against a band of Mujahadeen guerrillas in the mountains.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Beast?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Fort Bliss

Fort Bliss

War · 2014

After returning home from an extended tour in Afghanistan, a decorated U.S. Army medic and single mother struggles to rebuild her relationship with her young son.

Jacknife

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A conflict develops between a troubled Vietnam veteran and the sister he lives with when she becomes involved romantically with the army buddy who reminds him of the tragic battle they both survived.

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Beneath Hill 60

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Stop-Loss

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Back to Bataan

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War · 1945

An Army colonel leads a guerrilla campaign against the Japanese in the Philippines.

The Yellow Birds

The Yellow Birds

War · 2018

Two young soldiers, Bartle and Murph, navigate the terrors of the Iraq war under the command of the older, troubled Sergeant Sterling. All the while, Bartle is tortured by a promise he made to Murph's mother before their deployment.

Jarhead: Law of Return

Jarhead: Law of Return

War · 2019

Major Ronan Jackson, an accomplished fighter pilot for the Israel Defense Forces and son of a U.S. Senator, is shot down while flying through Syrian airspace. After miraculously surviving the crash, Jackson is taken captive by a group of Hezbollah militiamen. A squad of elite soldiers, led by Gunnery Sergeant Dave Torres, risk their own lives in the hopes of saving an ally they've never met.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Kevin Reynolds

Written by

William Mastrosimone

George Dzundza

George Dzundza

Daskal

Jason Patric

Jason Patric

Konstantin Koverchenko

Steven Bauer

Steven Bauer

Khan Taj

Stephen Baldwin

Stephen Baldwin

Anthony Golikov

Don Harvey

Don Harvey

Kaminski

Kabir Bedi

Kabir Bedi

Akbar

Erick Avari

Erick Avari

Samad

Court is in session

Put The Beast on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.