How a drone pilot and a stranded soldier saved a mission from bureaucratic neglect
In short: In the 2024 thriller Land of Bad, a US Air Force drone pilot must race against time to abort a lethal bombing run. With his superiors distracted by a basketball game, the pilot relies on a desperate voicemail from a soldier trapped behind enemy lines in the Philippines to intervene.
Directed by William Eubank, Land of Bad follows Sergeant JJ Kinney, a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) embedded with a Delta Force team. When their mission to rescue a CIA operative in the southern Philippines goes awry, Kinney becomes the sole survivor, forced to navigate hostile territory while guided only by Captain Eddie Grimm, a drone pilot operating from Nellis Air Force Base. The film emphasizes the technical reality of modern warfare, with the script originating from Eubank and David Frigerio’s extensive research, including shadowing real-life JTACs at Fort Irwin.
The narrative tension hinges on a breakdown in military communication. After Grimm schedules a series of bombings to neutralize enemy forces, he is ordered to take a mandatory break. While he is away, Kinney manages to call for an abort, but the base crew is preoccupied with a March Madness game. This bureaucratic indifference nearly leads to the deaths of the remaining soldiers. The film’s climax features Grimm rushing back to the control room to stop a B-1 Lancer strike just as it reaches the extraction point, a sequence that highlights the disconnect between command centers and the soldiers on the ground.
Critics have offered mixed reactions to the film’s execution. While some reviewers, such as Nick Schager of The Daily Beast, appreciated the earnest affection for military personnel, others like Simon Abrams found the film to be a heavy-handed critique of modern warfare. Despite these critiques, the production remains notable for its commitment to genre conventions, drawing inspiration from films like Black Hawk Down and the documentary Restrepo. With a worldwide gross of $7 million, the film reflects a specific, intense focus on the high-stakes coordination required in contemporary combat operations.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Land of Bad
- Also: Land of Bad
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/entertainment-land-of-bad.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Films · More in Entertainment · Latest · A–Z · All topics
