12 Strong

In the movie 12 Strong, directed by Nicolai Fuglsig, we are transported to the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, where the United States government demands swift action against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Following the devastating terrorist attacks on American soil, the US military sends a small team of the US Army's 5th Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (ODA 595), also known as the "Horse Soldiers," into the treacherous Afghani terrain. The team consists of 12 handpicked soldiers, led by Captain Mitch Nelson (played by Chris Hemsworth), who is tasked with forming alliances with the Northern Alliance, a local anti-Taliban militia. They are to coordinate a surprise attack against the al-Qaeda, which has taken refuge in the country's major cities. As Captain Nelson assembles his team, consisting of Sergeant Sam Diller (Michael Shannon), Lieutenant H.V. "Hal" Spencer (Michael Peña), and numerous other seasoned soldiers, he makes it clear that their mission is "a very, very difficult one," with a nearly insurmountable enemy that awaits them. As they make their way to Afghanistan, the team is met with treacherous weather conditions, poor logistics, and communication issues with higher headquarters. These real-world obstacles further the plight of the soldiers' psychological state. When they arrive in the country, they find themselves in one of the most isolated areas of Mazar-i-Sharif, where they are required to make contact with Abdul Rashid Dostum, their planned local ally, known as General Dostom. They are tasked with collaborating on a plan to bring down the warring tribal groups who seek their independence from the Taliban and stand strong. With few of their leaders still alive within those provinces due to ruthless cruelty by their Taliban captors, war-scarred Abdul Rashid, is indeed aware of key war zones, unclenching it would be safer from within certain battle-distant places where alliances of tribal groups usually collide in battle which falls to them.