The Patrol review

Wading through the Afghanistan war

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Finally, a British answer to The Hurt Locker , in this Raindance-winning drama about a troubled tour of Helmand Province.

Writer/director Tom Petch is ex-army and the film feels authentic in action – or, rather, inaction , as disgruntled grunts question their kit, their tactics and the entire Afghanistan war amid endless waiting.

As a combat pic, it’s refreshingly sober and politically engaged, a broadsheet among tabloids, although the narrative is short on dramatic firepower.

Still, it’s a solid debut, with Petch’s evocative location filming (in Morocco) and pyrotechnic flourishes belying his low budget.

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