---
title: "The Outpost: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-outpost/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-outpost"
critics_score: 70
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Outpost (2020): what the critics said

Critics' score 70 from 7 reviews: 5 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative.

Most critics come away impressed, and the praise clusters in one place: the long battle that takes up much of the second half. Review after review singles out the staging of that sequence, the point-of-view camerawork and the clear mapping of the outpost, for making the terror of the fight legible without losing the viewer. Several also credit the film with keeping the soldiers’ sacrifice, rather than any sense of victory, at the centre.

The reservations gather around everything before the shooting starts. More than one critic finds the screenplay thin on character, and some note a modest, straight-to-video look in the quieter stretches. The spread is wide at the bottom: the Los Angeles Times is the clear outlier, calling the film hollow and monotonous and faulting it for sidestepping the larger questions around the battle, while still admiring the combat photography. HeyUGuys stands slightly apart the other way, praising the performances as much as the action.

## Variety — Peter Debruge

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 29 June 2020. 

Debruge finds the film an exhilarating, immersive account of the battle that honors the soldiers’ sacrifice. He especially praises its nearly hourlong finale and point-of-view camerawork for conveying the terror of combat.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/the-outpost-review-1234690122/)

## IndieWire — David Ehrlich

Rating B. 2 July 2020. 

Ehrlich finds the film a steely, moving memorial and cautionary tale, despite its limited depth and occasional VOD feel. He praises the long, clearly staged combat sequence for conveying the battle’s terror while emphasizing the soldiers’ valor over victory.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-outpost-review-afghanistan-jake-tapper-1234571026/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Frank Scheck

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 29 June 2020. 

Scheck finds the film a visceral, admirably crafted war drama, though its screenplay does not fully engage with its central characters. He especially praises the immersive, disorienting staging of the lengthy battle sequence.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/outpost-1300911/)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint can be verified.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-outpost-movie-review-2020)

## Los Angeles Times — Mark Olsen

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 2 July 2020. 

Olsen finds the film a hollow, monotonous war movie that avoids the larger questions surrounding the battle. He praises its immersive, intimate combat cinematography and clear visual mapping of the outpost.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-07-02/outpost-rod-lurie-scott-eastwood-orlando-bloom-review)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 30 June 2020. 

The critic finds the film gripping and ultimately triumphant, while emphasizing the terrible cost of its victory. The immersive, sustained combat sequence and the soldiers’ acts of sacrifice stand out for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-outpost-film-review-war-is-hell-in-immersive-combat-movie/)

## HeyUGuys — Jack Hawkins

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic calls the film a strong, defining entry in the post-9/11 war genre. They especially praise its performances and commitment to historical realism.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-outpost-review/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-outpost.md