Outside The Wire gives a glimpse of the upcoming doom. The future of warfare with robotic soldiers. It is not Terminator. It runs on a different theme. It tries to explore how a man sitting behind the screen with no emotional attachment to the collateral will decide the fate of lives on the field. Hence, it covers numerous layers to warn us about the horrors of futuristic wars.
‘Outside The Wire’ Summary
Outside The Wire is set in the year 2036 and deals with terrorist activity in Eastern Europe. The American troops are deployed as peacekeepers in the lawless frontier between Ukraine and Russia, but their main mission is to stop a Krasny warlord, Viktor Koval who wants to make Ukraine a part of Russia. For that matter of fact, he increases his militia activity to gain the codes for the nukes in the deserted nuclear establishments in Ukraine, built during the time of the Cold War.
An android military officer, Captain Leo (Anthony Mackie) is assigned the mission to stop Koval. In his assignment, he chooses a flout drone pilot, Harp (Damson Idris), recently accused of killing 2 marine officers in warzone combat, deploying a drone missile against the orders of his seniors. Harp is sent to learn the value of collateral from Leo by helping him with on-field combat, but the way he learns it is totally unimaginable. The secret is the end, and it is surely going to hit you like an incoming missile, unexpected and booming.
Significance of the Title – ‘Outside The Wire’
The mission to stop Viktor Koval, the terror of the Balkans takes place outside the American safe zone. A lawless frontier which is constantly referred to as the land “outside the wire.” This land is filled with terrorists, Russian extremists, and Ukrainian refugees. Captain Leo is handed the task to deal with this mixed group because he is a black man who looks like no harm. Captain Leo quotes, “My sleeve might say the US, but my face conveys neutrality. Makes people calm.” Leo gels with the refugees of the lawless frontier and is able to carry out his mission without suspicion.
A Class Action Thriller
Outside The Wire stands out because it incorporates amazing action sequences with a thrilling storyline. The plot surprises you often when new information is revealed. This information is generally associated with Leo, and viewers like Harp, stand there amazed.
It is also symbolic in nature because Harp had been a witness to the warzone from the footage captured by a drone, but when he entered the real field, he understood the danger of it. The use of Robotic Soldiers aka Gumps in the film is literally mind-blowing. It isn’t transformers or terminator but something much more realistic. Their image and combat is something we are going to soon witness in the real world, and this is ironic, both surprising and scary.
Captain Leo as a cyborg prototype, first of its kind, is a modern weapon but with emotions. It is quite intriguing to see how Leo tricks Harp to fulfill his own personal agenda. Though his intentions are good, the path he chooses is annihilating.
Major Spoilers Ahead
A Self Created Doom
The ultimate goal of Leo was not to stop Koval. He intended to use those nukes to destroy the American mainland so that they don’t create any more prototypes like him. He says, “The world’s first use of a fully automated cyborg backfires.” Hence, in the end, Leo surprises Harp and the audience when he makes a revelation. Harp wasn’t assigned to Leo but Leo chose him for his mission because Harp was already a disobedient officer who would help him to disobey military orders without tracking and suspicion. Unknowingly, Harp even disables Leo’s tracking device, thus, making him an unstoppable terminator. But Leo doesn’t want to destroy the world, he wants to destroy his creators (Americans) to stop the war. Well, an annihilator’s mind is the most complex of all.
Captain Leo – Alter Ego of Harp
Harp was sent to Leo to learn the value of human lives fighting in the warzone. Harp is set as a character who is statistical about lives and not emotional. The drone set by him destroys an enemy launcher which would have killed all 40 marines in the field, but the missile shot by Harp killed 2 marines and saved 38. His seniors argue that if Harp wasn’t so irrational and quick to press the button, they would have a chance to save all 40 without any collateral. Harp disobeys the commands and is sent to the warzone.
When Captain Leo discusses these protocols with Harp, he supports Harp’s decision to launch the missile and subtly tells him, “I also have the ability to break the rules in certain circumstances.” This hints and connects to the climax when Leo integrates the codes in a Ukrainian nuke to destroy the American mainland. He claims, “I have to destroy the monster. My creator. The US. They need to understand that these wars must end and I am the face of the never-ending war.”
Leo justifies that destroying the US will stop the war. It is his statistics to kill 2 and save 38 people. When Harp acknowledges a larger version of his own alters ego, he is shell-shocked. His character transforms and compels him to speak, “Humans can learn to do better.” Thus, Harp’s journey to understand the value of human lives comes to a definite end. What differentiates us from the machines, is our ability to learn from our mistakes and adapt. Harp did learn but Leo was adamant like his skin, thus, perished.
Outside The Wire garnishes its genre with some substantial plot and storyline. The dialogues and character transformation are thought-provoking. There isn’t a moment in the film where the action sequence looks pasted or forcibly incorporated. The moments are neat and the philosophy uplifts the narrative.
The film marks the beginning of the year with Meaningful Cinema. If you are a fan of action thrillers that have some thick plot, story, and characters, do check out this one where Anthony Mackie shines like a Falcon.
Outside The Wire is 2021 Action Thriller film Directed by Mikael Håfström. It is streaming on Netflix.
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