Review: The Wall (15)

Sandwiched between two Tom Cruise blockbusters '“ The Edge of Tomorrow and the forthcoming American Made '“ producer and director Doug Liman's latest feels like something of a cinematic palate cleanser.
By The Newsroom
Published 28th Jul 2017, 08:21 BST
Updated 11th Sep 2017, 13:01 BST
WARRIOR: John Cena in The Wall, out in cinemas now.WARRIOR: John Cena in The Wall, out in cinemas now.
WARRIOR: John Cena in The Wall, out in cinemas now.

Set in Iraq in late 2007, just as American involvement is supposedly winding down, real-time thriller The Wall homes in on Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s marine as he’s pinned down by an Iraqi sniper in the baking heat of a bombed-out settlement.

With his fellow marine (played by John Cena) bleeding out and his radio damaged, Isaac (Taylor-Johnson) is soon embroiled in a battle of wits with a hyper-intelligent Iraqi sniper whose insights into the war rattle the secret-bearing American.

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Essentially a two-hander between Taylor-Johnson and the disembodied voice of his adversary (played by Laith Nakli), what follows is a solid example of the sort of single-location thriller – Locke, Buried, Phone Booth – that often ends up being more intriguing as a concept than a movie.

Here, though, Liman keeps everything tightly wound and over the course of its brief 90-minute running time Dwain Worrell’s script presents a compelling look at how conflict is repeatedly scalated by underestimating the enemy.

On general release.

Related topics:Tom CruiseAmericanIraq