A covert Special Forces operation in the South Philippines spirals into a brutal 48-hour battle for survival. A film by William Eubank, starring Liam Hemsworth, Russell Crowe, Luke Hemsworth, Ricky Whittle, and Milo Ventimiglia.

A US Army Delta Force team – Master Sgt. John “Sugar” Sweet (Milo Ventimiglia), Sgt. Abell (Luke Hemsworth), Sgt. Bishop (Ricky Whittle), and Sgt. JJ “Playboy” Kinney (Liam Hemsworth) – are on a covert operation in the southern Philippines to rescue a CIA asset.

As they arrive at the target area, they come upon a horrific scene: Saeed Hashimi (Robert Rabiah) shooting Victor Petrov (Jack Finsterer) and decapitating Victor’s wife (Anna Loren). Attempting to stop Saeed from killing Victor’s son (Manix Butterfield), Sgt. Abell shoots Saeed in the leg, while Captain Eddie Grimm “Reaper” (Russell Crowe) launches a missile from his drone to create a diversion.

Saeed Hashimi’s men retaliate with guns and rocket-propelled grenades, leaving Sgt. Abell killed in action. Hit by an RPG grenade, Sgt. Sugar and Sgt. Bishop are assumed dead. Sgt. Kinney flees the scene and is guided by Reaper, leading him to the extraction point.

However, when Kinney arrives at the landing zone, he is ambushed by the Abu Sayyaf rebel group led by Saeed Hashimi, forcing the extraction helicopter to leave. Kinney has no choice but to make his way to the second extraction point on the northeastern hill.

During his trip to another extraction point, Kinney is captured by a group of rebels. Surprisingly, Sgt. Sugar is still alive and comes to Kinney’s rescue. Sugar tells Kinney that Bishop was badly injured and captured by Saeed Hashimi. They must return to the target compound to save Bishop.

Directed by American filmmaker William Eubank with a script he co-wrote with David Frigerio, LAND OF BAD‘s action sequences are undeniably impressive, with bullets flying and explosions rocking the screen. The premise looks promising; a lone soldier, deep behind enemy lines, with only drone operator’s voice guiding him through an extraction point. However, the story struggles to keep pace.

The film would benefit if the story were unfolded in real time instead of using jump cuts to condense 48 hours into a 2-hour movie. We don’t get a sense of the difficulty the soldiers face walking back and forth through the deep jungle, only to return to where they started.

The plot is predictable, as it relies on well-worn tropes and offers no twist or surprise. The characters are equally uninspired. The first act suffers from a slow pace, struggling to establish the characters before abruptly throwing them into the heart of the action.

Russell Crowe steals the show with his performance, injecting much-needed humor with his dry delivery and perfectly timed one-liners. These comedic moments lighten the mood and make him the most compelling character on screen.

LAND OF BAD was theatrically released in the united States on 16 February 2024.