Boots on the Ground Review (2017)

Synopsis

Five British soldiers on their last night of the Afghan War stumble upon an abandoned 19th-century fort.

Trapped in a labyrinth of supernatural forces and psychological torment, they must survive the night, facing not only spectral entities but also their own paranoia as they question reality and each other.

My Thoughts

Good Points

Helmet-Cam Concept Actually Makes Sense

Found footage always has that big question – why keep filming?

Here it works, as the soldiers wear helmet cams as standard gear, so it feels more natural. No one’s stopping to pull out a phone, and it’s believable.

The Setting Feels Creepy

The abandoned Afghan compound is a great backdrop. Dark corridors, busted lights, and night vision shots really sell the mood.

Atmosphere Over Story

The visuals often carry more weight than the plot here, with flickering lights, shadows moving in the background, sudden shapes appearing when the camera shifts. It shows Louis Melville knows how to build tension through space and silence.

Some Clever Scares

The scare attempts feel baked into the actual environment, and are not just cheap jump scares just for the sake of it.

Time Bending Idea Has Potential

The film doesn’t pull this part off cleanly, but the concept of soldiers being caught in loops or fractured timelines is intriguing. When it clicks, it makes you second guess what you’re watching.

Ambition Over Comfort

It’s easy to make another “soldiers vs monsters” flick, but boots on the ground tries something stranger – melding war footage with supernatural horror and fractured time.

Even if it stumbles, you can see the ambition.

Bad Points

Hard to Tell Who’s Who

The helmet-cam gimmick makes sense, but it comes with a big problem, as everyone looks the same. Uniforms, helmets, gear – it’s often just faceless figures running around in the dark.

So when the film switches between feeds, it’s not always clear which soldier you’re watching.

Stock Characters

Even when you can tell them apart, the squad is built from clichés, and they never break out of those molds.

The Script Doesn’t Help

The dialogue leans pretty heavily on familiar military chatter, and while it’s serviceable, it never gives the actors much to work with. No one has a moment that defines them, so you don’t really care when things go bad.

Confusing Structure

The mixture of helmet-cam footage and the time-warping story creates more muddle than mystery, and I often felt a bit lost about what’s happening. But that could be a ‘me’ issue.

Pacing Drops Out

For a film that isn’t long, there are stretches that really do drag. The tension starts to build, and then fizzles out, before trying to restart again.

Scares Don’t Always Land

Some setups are solid, but too many rely on sudden noises or jolts without buildup. After a while, the impact wears thin.

Wasted Potential in the Concept

The helmet-cam idea could’ve been a game-changer if paired with strong characters and a tighter script.

But this style limits how much expression or personality you see, and that ends up working against the film, and while the time-loop angle could’ve been fascinating, instead it just gets confusing.

The Ending

Without spoiling, the film doesn’t really land a satisfying conclusion. It just sort of fades out instead of delivering a strong payoff. .

Is Boots on the Ground Worth Watching?

Boots on the Ground is a film full of ideas that don’t always line up.

I liked a few things about it, but the flaws start to pile up quite quickly.

But Louis Melville clearly has a knack for creating mood and tension, even if the story stumbles.

Boots on the Ground was an interesting experiment, but not something that will stick with you for long.

Boots on the Ground Trailer
Boots on the Ground on IMDB
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