Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- intense
- earnest
- patriotic
- military movie night
- action film marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the fact-based mission and committed cast watchable and thrilling, but faulted the film for its blunt patriotism, thin characterization, and repetitive pacing.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mitch Nelson leads a twelve-member Green Beret team whose survival depends on close cooperation in Afghanistan.
The mission is explicitly framed as the immediate American response to the September 11 attacks and emphasizes patriotic duty.
The Green Berets coordinate with General Dostum and fight Taliban forces across the mountainous Afghan landscape, including mounted assaults.
New Mexico locations stand in for Afghanistan, with the landscape serving as one of the production's most prominent visual strengths.
Films like 12 Strong, and why
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
shared fact-based post-9/11 military operation, American patriotism, and conventional combat spectacle
Black Hawk Down
shared modern war setting, special operations focus, tactical action, and intense battlefield drama
The Last Samurai
shared historical military adventure, mounted warfare, patriotic heroism, and sweeping combat imagery
Lone Survivor
shared true-story war drama, battlefield camaraderie, and emphasis on soldiers under pressure
Movie Details
- Director
- Nicolai Fuglsig
- Release Date
- 2018-01-18
- Runtime
- 130 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (3266)
Cast
- Chris Hemsworth
- Michael Shannon
- Michael Peña
- Navid Negahban
- Trevante Rhodes
- Geoff Stults
- Thad Luckinbill
- Austin Stowell
- Ben O'Toole
- Jack Kesy
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is 12 Strong about?
- A newly assembled Green Beret unit joins Afghan allies on horseback to confront the Taliban in the first American campaign after 9/11.
- What is 12 Strong like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of 12 Strong as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is 12 Strong violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in 12 Strong as brutal.
- What did critics think of 12 Strong?
- Critics generally found the fact-based mission and committed cast watchable and thrilling, but faulted the film for its blunt patriotism, thin characterization, and repetitive pacing.
- Which films are like 12 Strong?
- Films with a similar feel include 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, Black Hawk Down, The Last Samurai, and Lone Survivor.
- How long is 12 Strong?
- 12 Strong runs 130 minutes.
- Where can I watch 12 Strong?
- In United States, 12 Strong is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex.
