I’ve just seen what was for me, one of the most thrilling and relevant films in the war genre (no need to exercise on that treadmill, this film will be sure to keep your heart pounding) . The Kingdom follows the story of an FBI team attempting to uncover a ruthless terrorist attack targeting expatriates working for a Saudi based Saudi-American oil company (ARAMCO).

The story starts on the day of of the attack where hundreds of ARAMCO employees (mostly expatriates) together with their wives and children were out on a ballpark, playing  baseball, lounging on beach chairs, and overall having a good time. The ballpark and the compound in general are protected by a perimeter of highly trained Saudi national guard and police. Two men dressed in the uniforms of the police force walk up to the back gate, kill the guards manning the outpost, hop into a four wheel drive and speed off into the compound, spraying bullets indiscriminately killing residents.

In the ensuing panic residents flee towards the safety of their building. A man in police uniform directs the residents towards him and then suddenly chants Arabic verses and detonates a bomb strapped to his chest killing him and the residents around him. An hour later, paramedics and rescuers fill the site pulling victims out of the rubble and rescuing the wounded. While all this was going on, a truck filled with explosives suddenly detonate, blasting a crater 30 feet wide in diameter and killing rescuers and survivors alike.

The entire movie then revolves around finding the men responsible for the twin bombings and the alliance and bond that is built between two men- Special Agent Ronald Fleury of the FBI (Jamie Foxx) and Colonel Faris Al-Ghazi of the Saudi State Police (Ashraf Barhom). The film also stars Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper and Jason Bateman. The film is very believable with intense action-packed scenes. Overall rating? 9 stars out of 10.

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