Once two hours of watching 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, elapsed, some audience members left the theatre teary-eyed and clearly emotionally affected by the film.
The story was based on real events that portray the perilous conditions that six highly trained military personnel endured during a terrorist attack on an American embassy in Benghazi, Libya four years ago.

The film follows responders Jack Silva, Tyrone “Rone” Woods, Kris “Tanto” Paronto, Dave “Boon” Benton, John “Tig” Tiegen, and Mark “Oz” Geist. These six men come from all armed forces, but they will soon form a closer bond.

While the heroic and dramatic story of these soldiers is dramatically displayed, I felt the actors were flat characters, and not three-dimensional survivors. There wasn’t a moment I felt compelled to express an emotion until Silva’s (John Krasinski) aside at the end of the film.

The movie begins with Silva arriving in Benghazi, eventually being escorted by Woods (James Badge Dale) to a covert CIA base one mile away from a United States embassy. We watch these characters live a casual life in this environment for weeks, video chatting with family and watching movies in their rooms until September.

On the 11th anniversary of Al Qaeda’s terrorist act on The United States in 2001, Islamic militants took over the embassy, killing an American ambassador. This ignites the thirteen hour battle between the U.S. soldiers and the Libyan militants.
Some scenes were shot in a creative and artistic way at key chaotic moments while other moments unfold with typical dialogue and scenery. While this may sound like a terrible clash of storytelling techniques, the combination came together quite well, blended with the actors’ performances.

After continuous warfare fills the cinema screen and we come close to the last hour, I give 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, 7 out of 10 stars.

If you haven’t seen the trailer, check it out here: