Imagine that your life is in tatters: your “with child” wife is whipped to near-death before your very eyes, you, a former slave, are beaten to a pulp, but still manage to survive. Six years later, “enrolled” in the Union army, your commanding officer makes you an offer you should probably refuse: take five other men (all as Black as yourself) then infiltrate and render impotent Fort Gibson with its mighty cannons or face probable death if you don’t. What would you do?
In all honesty, I am not one for films offering copious amounts of blood, guts and gore, but was hoping that the narrative might have many more layers than just who can slit the most throats or blow up the most armaments. Perhaps another time.
In all bewildering likelihood, leading the doomed patrol is the aptly named Barabbas (the biblical prisoner who Pontius Pilate opted to release instead of Jesus, following the rabble and not the law—couldn’t happen in 2025…). Malcolm Goodwin is more than up to the daunting task of bringing his disparate charges into probable death.
Also up to the challenge is Washington (Okea Eme Akwari) whose infectious smile might be hiding a different motivation for being on the trek. Apparently second-in-command, Cuffy (Furly Mac seems to savour every scene he’s in) has not any problems following the boss, whether or not any of them get out of their assignment alive.
Initially lurking in the shadows is Tsula (Trianna Browne deftly moves from bit part to leading role as she, literally, follows the mostly doomed men to the ends of the earth).
Wearing the gold-braided epaulets of they who must be obeyed are Jeff Daniel Phillips and Ronnie Gene Blevins.
Along the journey to the fort that has many more challenges than far-reaching guns (be prepared for Dracula-like crypts and reincarnations most foul), the production quickly moves from an important military operation to survival of the fittest—thank goodness there’s a wee purple flower that can make its inherent magic even “blossom” to defeat the likes of Nostradamus!
Never mind, do come along for the carnage and revenge-fuelled action, then hope against hope that his sort of gruesome scenario could never play out in real time in 2025.
But then ignore the final “happy ending” as life seldom turns out that way (just ask those struggling to exist in Ukraine and Gaza). JWR