Movie Review: 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (5 Out of 5 Stars)

Holly Woodland January 20, 2016

363 1 minute read

by Holly Woodland

“Liars! Liars! Liars!” I sat there thinking as the film ended. I had anticipated feeling frustration at Hillary and the Obama White House, but the film was so relentless in its factual account, the entire audience was left stunned into fuming silence. It is apparent Micheal Bay (director) and Chuck Hogan (screenwriter – based on the 2014 book by Mitchell Zuckoff) took great care in portraying accurately eyewitness accounts, leaving the audience certain that finally the truth of the events of Benghazi were revealed in this shameful event in American history. The film does not lend an opinion, which makes it more powerful in it’s testimony.

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi begins with detailing the events leading up to September 11, 2012 when a group of Islamic militants storm the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. Ambassador Stevens and his staff are left virtually defenseless in the onslaught of this organized attack. An undisclosed CIA annex is moments away with a group of security contractors (former Navy Seals, Marine Force Recon and Army Special Forces) when the pleas for help come in from the compound. What follows is an account from the brave contractors desperate to help, but are repeatedly told to wait by the CIA commander as he hangs onto frantic conversations on his phone. Finally the trained contractors decide to answer the cries regardless and are confronted with the attack on the compound and later onto the annex itself. It also reveals the strong camaraderie and heroism of the fighting men and the spirit of our American warriors.

Actors John Krasinski (Jack Silva), James Badge Dale (“Rone”), Pablo Schreiber (“Tanto”), Dominic Fumusa (“Tig”), Max Martini (“Oz”), David Denman (“Boon”) and Toby Stephens (as Glen “Bub” Doherty) fill out the excellent cast with obvious respect and effort made by the actors to be precise in their characters depiction. Also, special praise to actor Matt Letscher portraying Ambassador Chris Stevens and Christopher Dingli as Sean Smith (both killed at the compound in the attacks).

For those of you familiar with the slimy politics following the attacks (and I know PolitiChicks readers are always up to date), the film is one of a handful of Hollywood’s finest. For those of you unfamiliar, perhaps you can hear the anguished cry of Sean Smith’s mother (“Hillary lied!!”) and ask yourself why the events of Benghazi are so dismissed and the lives lost so belittled by Hillary and the current Washington elites.

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi movie trailer: