Screenplay data
Staff Sergeant William James, a reckless bomb disposal expert, takes command of an EOD team in Iraq, immediately clashing with his safety-conscious teammates. Their constant exposure to danger and James's unconventional methods escalate tensions, particularly after a mission where Specialist Eldridge is wounded. After a harrowing tour, James returns home but struggles to adapt to civilian life, realizing his profound addiction to the adrenaline of war. Ultimately, James re-enlists for another tour in Iraq, returning to the only environment where he feels truly alive.
Save the Cat beat sheet
An elite Army EOD team led by Sergeant James navigates deadly bomb-defusal missions in Baghdad while personal and moral tensions threaten their cohesion.
Open full beat sheetSERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES is listed as EOD Team Leader. Former Delta soldier, late twenties, appealing face, solid build, guards an inner chaos. In the parsed data, SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES is connected to 57 scenes, 194 dialogue lines, 194 text mentions, first appearing around scene 2.
57 scenes / 194 dialogue linesSERGEANT J. T. SANBORN is listed as EOD Technician. Strapping Iowa farm boy, bulky frame, soft and kind face, former Military Intelligence. In the parsed data, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN is connected to 45 scenes, 139 dialogue lines, 139 text mentions, first appearing around scene 1.
45 scenes / 139 dialogue linesSPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE is listed as EOD Technician. Tall, lanky, youngest of the group, a thinker. In the parsed data, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE is connected to 38 scenes, 64 dialogue lines, 64 text mentions, first appearing around scene 1.
38 scenes / 64 dialogue linesLT. COL. JOHN CAMBRIDGE is listed as Military Psychiatrist. Professional, clinical demeanor. In the parsed data, LT. COL. JOHN CAMBRIDGE is connected to 5 scenes, 7 dialogue lines, 7 text mentions, first appearing around scene 14.
5 scenes / 7 dialogue linesSERGEANT MATT THOMPSON is listed as EOD Team Leader. Fleshy around the arms and middle, but muscular underneath; experienced EOD technician. In the parsed data, SERGEANT MATT THOMPSON is connected to 4 scenes, 42 dialogue lines, 42 text mentions, first appearing around scene 1.
4 scenes / 42 dialogue linesPELE is listed as Iraqi child. Young Iraqi kid selling pirated DVDs. In the parsed data, PELE is connected to 4 scenes, 8 dialogue lines, 11 text mentions, first appearing around scene 12.
4 scenes / 8 dialogue linesCONNIE JAMES is listed as Wife of William James. Beautiful young woman, suburban mother. In the parsed data, CONNIE JAMES is connected to 4 scenes, 5 dialogue lines, 5 text mentions, first appearing around scene 58.
4 scenes / 5 dialogue linesCOLONEL REED is listed as Military Officer. Uniform covered in army bling, medals from long ago. In the parsed data, COLONEL REED is connected to 4 scenes, 3 dialogue lines, 3 text mentions, first appearing around scene 13.
4 scenes / 3 dialogue linesAMBASSADOR SIR AUCKLAND GEDDES is listed as British Ambassador. Epitome of old style British foreign service, elegant, self-assured. In the parsed data, AMBASSADOR SIR AUCKLAND GEDDES is connected to 2 scenes, 1 dialogue line, 1 text mention, first appearing around scene 20.
2 scenes / 1 dialogue linesEOD team attempts to disarm an IED found in a bag on a street in Baghdad.
SERGEANT MATT THOMPSON, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGESergeant William James arrives at Camp Victory and meets Sergeant Sanborn.
SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESJames and Sanborn discuss the death of Thompson and their upcoming mission.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORNSanborn and Eldridge discuss their impressions of James.
SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGEEldridge prepares for the day.
SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGESanborn and Eldridge prepare to leave, but James is late.
SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESThe team drives toward the city while discussing the environment.
SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGEThe team arrives at the site of a reported IED.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGEJames approaches the IED while Sanborn and Eldridge provide cover.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGESanborn and Eldridge eat lunch.
SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGESanborn and Eldridge eat lunch while discussing the poor quality of food and their team leader, James.
SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESJames buys pirated DVDs from Pele while Sanborn and Eldridge head to the head shed.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, PELE, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGEThe First Sergeant gives Sanborn the personal effects of a fallen soldier.
SERGEANT J. T. SANBORNEldridge speaks with Lt. Col. Cambridge about his fear of dying.
SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, LT. COL. JOHN CAMBRIDGEJames leaves a voicemail for his wife.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESSanborn confronts James about his behavior, and they share a moment of mutual understanding.
SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESThe team travels to a bomb site.
SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGEThe team investigates a suspicious car bomb, which is ignited by a motorcyclist.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGEEldridge guards the Ambassador while James works on the bomb outside.
AMBASSADOR SIR AUCKLAND GEDDES, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGEAmbassador Geddes dismisses Eldridge's moral concerns, leading to a tense standoff between the EOD team members.
SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, AMBASSADOR SIR AUCKLAND GEDDES, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESSanborn confronts James after the mission, leading to a physical altercation.
SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, COLONEL REEDJames interacts with Pele while the team deals with their internal tensions.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, PELE, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGEEldridge discusses his psychological state with the psychiatrist.
SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, LT. COL. JOHN CAMBRIDGEJames and Sanborn have a tense conversation about the realities of EOD work.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORNSanborn and Eldridge contemplate the possibility of James's death during a controlled detonation.
SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESThe team comes under fire while attempting to clear a missile.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGEThe EOD team is pinned down in a crater under sniper fire; they struggle to manage ammunition and maintain composure.
SERGEANT MATT THOMPSON, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESAn hour later, the team remains in the crater; James helps Sanborn stay focused with water.
SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESTwo hours later, a soldier makes a run for the Humvee and returns, mocking the enemy.
SERGEANT MATT THOMPSON, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESJames, Sanborn, and Eldridge drink and fight in James' trailer.
SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESJames helps a drunk Sanborn to his trailer.
SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESJames calls his wife on a satellite phone.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, CONNIE JAMESJames puts on his bomb helmet alone in his room.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESSanborn visits the mortuary to return Thompson's dog tags.
SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, COLONEL REEDThe team eats together and discusses Eldridge's therapy.
SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESJames and Eldridge prepare to leave the tent as a storm brews outside.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGEThe team navigates a severe sandstorm.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORNThe team encounters a wounded EOD team returning from a failed mission.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORNLt. Col. Cambridge joins the team for their mission.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, LT. COL. JOHN CAMBRIDGEThe team arrives at a bombed-out building to investigate a potential threat.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, LT. COL. JOHN CAMBRIDGEThe team clears the building and finds a body rigged with explosives.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORNJames hands the body over to Iraqi police.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESThe team waits while Cambridge interacts with locals, leading to an explosion.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, LT. COL. JOHN CAMBRIDGEThe team recovers from the blast.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORNJames confronts a DVD seller, suspecting him of being an insurgent.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESJames forces the DVD seller to drive him into the city.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESJames confronts a man in his home, looking for those responsible for the body bomb.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, PELEJames returns to the camp and is detained by guards.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESJames returns to camp after a confrontation and receives a radio call from Sanborn.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORNJames joins Sanborn and Eldridge in the Humvee for a post-blast investigation.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGEThe team investigates the site of a massive tanker explosion and encounters Colonel Reed.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGE, COLONEL REEDJames insists on hunting the bomber, leading to a confrontation where Eldridge is wounded.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGEJames washes the blood of Eldridge off his uniform.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESEldridge is evacuated, and he confronts James about his behavior.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGEJames investigates a suspicious washing machine and then encounters a man with a bomb strapped to him.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORNJames confronts a man with a bomb strapped to his chest and attempts to disarm it while under pressure.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, SPECIALIST OWEN ELDRIDGEJames and Sanborn discuss the risks of their job while driving.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORNJames experiences the overwhelming abundance of an American supermarket.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, CONNIE JAMESJames struggles to adjust to domestic life.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, CONNIE JAMESSanborn visits James at a barbecue.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORN, CONNIE JAMESJames tells his son a story about magic boxes.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESSanborn picks up James to return to service.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMES, SERGEANT J. T. SANBORNJames returns to Iraq.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESJames arrives back in Baghdad.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESJames arrives in Baghdad and is welcomed by a soldier.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESJames approaches a bomb in the desert, his breathing becoming the focus.
SERGEANT WILLIAM JAMESYou see, the thing is, son. One day you'll understand that when you start out like you are now, you love everything. You love your Mommy and your Daddy. You love your bobba. You love your blanket. You even love your little crib, and these dumb toys. But as you get older some of the things you love don't seem special anymore. That bobba is one day just going to look like an ordinary plastic bottle to you. And the older you get, the more this happens and the fewer things you love. And by the time you get to be my age, sometimes you only love one -- or two -- things.
Okay. I'm going to make my approach. This area looks okay. No power-lines. Clean line of sight. If it looks alright when I get down there, I'm going to plug it in and we'll just blow it. Boom -- no more bomb -- give these people something to think about. I want them to know if they're going to leave a bomb on the side of the road for us, we're going to blow up their little road. Leave them a crater and an ear ache.
Another inch or two difference. Shrapnel goes zing. Severs my throat. I bleed out in the sand. Fuck. If I die now, nobody will even really care. My folks, sure. But that don't count. Who else? I don't even have a son.
Well I guess it makes sense. Anybody comes alongside the Humvee, we're dead. Anybody looks at you funny, you're dead. Pretty much, the bottom line, is if you're in Iraq you're dead. How's a tank going to stop that?
That's true. But what concerns me is how much you think about it. You have to change the record in your head, think about other things.
And this Knight gathered up all the boxes, far and wide. And sometimes -- when he wasn't sure if it was a magic box -- he opened them.
Perfect vantage point for a remote det -- and I bet he's out there right now watching us make fools of ourselves. We could get him.
At my one o'clock. Two hundred meters. Something moved behind a parked car. Either a tan dog or a man in a light-colored shirt.
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