Lone Survivor

Right now you can watch Lone Survivor in the US on Peacock Premium, and in the UK on Netflix — and it moves faster than most of the genre's competition. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Mark Wahlberg's performance is the throughline that holds the set pieces together. Available now on Peacock Premium — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Lone Survivor arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. The choreography in Lone Survivor serves the story instead of interrupting it. Four Navy SEALs on a covert mission to neutralize a high-level Taliban operative must make an impossible moral decision in the mountains of Afghanistan that leads them into an enemy ambush. As they confront unthinkable odds, the SEALs must find reserves of strength and resilience to fight to the finish. The physicality Mark Wahlberg and Taylor Kitsch bring elevates every sequence. It was released in 2013. What separates Lone Survivor from disposable action entertainment is character work that survives the explosions. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

For viewers who want their entertainment to move fast and not waste a scene, Lone Survivor respects your time. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Mark Wahlberg anchors the chaos with real screen presence. Every set piece here is doing more than one job at once.