The Kill Team
The Kill Team
| 15 October 2013 (USA)
The Kill Team Trailers

In 2010, the media branded a platoon of U.S. Army infantry soldiers “The Kill Team” following reports of its killing for sport in Afghanistan. Now, one of the accused must fight the government he defended on the battlefield, while grappling with his own role in the alleged murders. Dan Krauss’s absorbing documentary examines the stories of four men implicated in heinous war crimes in a stark reminder that, in war, innocence may be relative to the insanity around you.

Reviews
Searsino

Adam Winfield is a 21-year-old United States infantryman who fought in Afghanistan. During his tour, he takes issue with the behavior from individual members in his platoon being acted out upon the local Afghani people (dead young men are shown throughout, so be forewarned).Before he manages to safely alert someone to the problems taking place in his unit (and according to him across the entire military), his platoon gets wind of this and starts giving threats to ensure silence. Adam is forced to decide whether he should stay quiet or stop the activities of which he is so opposed.This film is an account of these events from various members of the platoon (including Adam).There is no doubt this documentary is an important one. It shows a young man in a situation which is seemingly unjust and unfair. It became difficult at times to watch a small guy get treated so terribly (nobody likes bullying). You can tell just how miserable and worried he is.The film leads up to his hearing where he's given three years in prison. It's quite painful to watch. The message I received was how important it is for Americans to be able to rely on a system of justice and that we all will hold one another accountable for injustice when we see it.I do however think this situation is not as simple as many will think it is. The United States military is responsible for keeping peace around the world. The Navy occupies the oceans with Super Carriers which prevent violence and war. The Airforce and Army are no different. To think otherwise is to be naive. I should note that I am not a member of the military, come from immigrant parents and was born and raised here in the United States. For me, this film has an important message to get across. I would like to challenge everyone to drop any previous opinions on these issues going into the film. There are many, MANY more amazing United States soldiers out there for each instance of a bad one we hear about in the media. That idea often gets lost in politics where the focus is on problems (rarely accomplishments).Ultimately, we can credit a lot of the good in this world to the United States military, much of which gets ignored. Being able to remain impartial for this topic makes this even more of an insightful experience.What I liked most about this was how the director didn't allow for this to run any longer than needed. A short and to the point account. ----- 8/10 STARS -------- Review by Searsino -----

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Johan Dondokambey

As a documentary, this movie deals with such a subject that is quite strong that can poke into sensitive areas of the social establishment. Yet I find that this movie wasn't that strong in addressing its subject. The approach of more heavier focus on interviews is not that good in telling a heavy and sensitive subject such as thus. The movie would've been far better if it incorporated some degree of dramatization, maybe some kind of reenactment of the three cases of the setup killings. That will definitely put more into focus so that the viewers can really relate to what the movie is talking about. Also the movie should really get more balanced by at least adding more interviews or other parts from the army's side.

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sixbells99

A true heart of darkness this documentary painfully depicts a war within a war, when men on the same side turn against each other. It painfully shows the lie that trained killers can be contained and controlled. Instead the films shows that war can lead to a moral numbness where killing of any kind is just a trophy to brag about. It skillfully shows the conflict and fear of one man faced with the dilemma in doing the right thing as his conscious weights on him yet his instinct for survival pulls against him. Yet this one man is not blameless also partaking in the butchery and murder of unarmed farmers. This is also the skill of the documentary as it leaves you with more questions than answers. Were all the young farmers killed really innocent? Is Adam Winfield really a victim or a cold blood killer? For sure his mother and father are victims and it's theirs sorrowed surrounding him that makes the film ambiguous, where you can't make out how guilty he really is.The most chilling scene of the film is where one of the soldiers said, "everyone was doing it we just got caught". A chilling film that is very different to the usual war documentary's where you see shaky cam of soldiers diving for cover as bullets fly over their head. It's also a film that asks you the question what would you do faced with a similar situation. A great documentary that shows the true brutality of war and what it does to the men that fight in it.

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tedpk1985

this is about as good as it gets in terms of war documentaries. Very gripping and moving film at the Tribeca Film Festival.This film provided a good mix of first hand interviews and in combat footage/stills which really helps illustrate what the soldiers are talking about.The film also doesn't just center on Adam Winfield but his relationship with his parents and how the damage done affect all in his life. The director really explored this well and covered all of his bases.The film concludes stating that Adam Winfield is released from army prison in the summer of 2012. It would have been nice to see that part documented. That can really only be my complaint here, otherwise a near perfect film.

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