The Ambush

"They will bring their brothers home by any means necessary."

2021 1h 50m AR

😐

6.0

MID

⭐

6.1

IMDB

★6.0TMDB · 66★6.1IMDB · 2,929

WarActionDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

It is the winter of 2018, the men and women of the UAE military are deployed to provide aid. At the Mocha Base, spirits are high as three Emirati soldiers anticipate an imminent return home. While on their final routine patrol, the three soldiers, Ali, Bilal and Hindasi are ambushed by heavily armed militants on their route, through a narrow canyon. Trapped, wounded, and out of communication range, the three soldiers realize the gravity of their situation. They are running out of options, munitions - and time. Back at the base, their commander receives word and realizes that the assault on the UAE army patrol was premeditated. A rescue mission is quickly put into action, but will air and land support reach the men in time, and will they survive?

“They will bring their brothers home by any means necessary.”

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Cast

Marwan Abdullah
Sergeant Ali Al-mismari
Khalifa Al Jassem
Warrant Officer Bilal Al Saadi
Mohammed Ahmed
Sergeant Al Hindasi
Abdulla Saeed Bin Haider
Colonel Almazroui
Saeed Alharsh
Captain Saeed Al Shehhi
Hassan Yousuf Alblooshi
Abdulla Alblooshi
Khalifa Albahri
Al Sayari
Ghanim Nasser
Opposition Leader

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Pierre Morel
Writers: Brandon Birtell, Kurtis Birtell
Languages: Arabic
Countries: United Arab Emirates

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 13% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 5 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Harry Gregson-Williams. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Shahnaz Dulaimy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marwan Abdullah and Khalifa Al Jassem and Mohammed Ahmed carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "They will bring their brothers home by any means necessary.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt13445076 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Pierre Morel directs. Harry Gregson-Williams scores. Shahnaz Dulaimy cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United Arab Emirates. Dialogue in Arabic.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 13% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 5 years ago.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Original score by Harry Gregson-Williams. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Shahnaz Dulaimy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Marwan Abdullah and Khalifa Al Jassem and Mohammed Ahmed carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "They will bring their brothers home by any means necessary.".
8IMDB entry: tt13445076 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 66 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Original score: Harry Gregson-Williams
Editing: Shahnaz Dulaimy
Production design: Nasser Zoubi
Runtime: 110 min · 1h 50m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $40,000,000
Box office: $5,218,666
Return: 13% of budget
Original language: AR
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Ambush (2021)
IMDB rating: 6.1/10 · 2,929 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

1 win total

Also by

Pierre Morel

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

MovieGuys2022-12-31
★ 7/10
The Ambush follows the standard "patriotic" war flick format. Simply insert the country of choice, in this case the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and away you go. In terms of its combat scenes and visuals this film is well paced, reasonably convincing and will resonate with war film enthusiasts. Its patriotic leanings will, of course, potentially appeal to UAE audiences, no doubt its intended demographic. I will add and this needs be said, the tragic situation that developed in Yemen, was provoked and furthered, by the West, who profited greatly from the war that developed in that nation. This contextual reality, needs to be understood. Those Yemenis fighting on the ground, might also be considered patriots for their own nations cause. In summary, well made but predictable patriotic fare, that's watchable but its clear bias, needs to be kept in mind. There's far more to the conflict in Yemen, than this simplistic interpretation, would suggest.

Production companies