Land of Bad Is an Accurate War Film That Deserves a Bigger Audience

Despite its initial release in February 2024 and less than stellar reviews, William Eubank’s Land of Bad found newfound fame when the film made its Netflix debut on July 18, 2024. The action thriller even managed to claim a spot on Netflix’s Global Top 10 list during the week spanning July 22 to July 28. The film has a star-studded cast, with Liam Hemsworth and Russell Crowe taking on central roles. The actors are joined by Hemsworth’s brother, Luke, alongside Milo Ventimiglia, Ricky Whittle, Chuka Ikogwe, and Daniel MacPherson.

Land of Bad, although another addition to the highly saturated genre of war/military action thrillers, is Eubank’s first venture into a purely action-centered film. The director has previously worked on plenty of sci-fi films, including The Signal, and dabbled in the horror genre, being the name behind 2021’s Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin. Despite his experience in genre movies, each film brings its own trials and tribulations, and Land of Bad proved no different for Eubank. The initial idea for the film was put together more than a decade ago by Eubank and co-writer David Frigerio, and since then, the movie has undergone many changes, including those affecting Land of Bad‘s storyline and accuracy.

Is Land of Bad Based on a True Story?

Land of Bad

3.5/5

Release Date

February 16, 2024

Runtime

1hr 50min

Read Our Review

Although Land of Bad is primarily a work of fiction and is not based on a true story, the narrative includes certain factual elements. For example, protagonist Kinney’s role in the operation, that of a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC), is a real role in the Armed Forces of the United States. The JTAC coordinates with ground support, directing the actions and steering the courses of military aircraft while on missions.

Land of Bad’s biggest draw from real life has to do with its lead, Liam Hemsworth’s character JJ ‘Playboy’ Kinney. Hemsworth’s Kinney has a corresponding real-life Kinney, who partially influenced the film persona. Real-life JTAC instructor Jason Kinney, based in Fort Irwin, California, served as a consultant on Land of Bad. However, not much beyond the character’s name is true, with the plot for the film being hatched long before Eubank encountered Jason Kinney. The real-life Kinney never went on a rescue mission in the South Philippines and, unlike Hemsworth’s character in the film, was highly skilled, confident, and qualified.

Military Accuracy in Land of Band

One of the core focuses of Land of Bad is drone warfare and the role of the human soldier within a technologically driven military. Given that the idea for the film was devised long before the movie went into production, Eubank has expressed that the storyline had quite a few holes regarding drone warfare. The team recognized the problem as more work and research was done and real-life drone pilots were met with. Recognizing they had the story wrong, Eubank scrapped the initial script written for Land of Bad, opting for military accuracy.

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In conversation with Task and Purpose, Eubank spoke of how the production team, after getting in touch with Jason Kinney, delved “into the nitty gritty”, getting an “understanding on the day to day”. The influence of the team’s interactions also extended to the build of the drone controller sets, with Russell Crowe able to learn from actual pilots, allowing him to nail his performance as Reaper. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Eubank says:

“[Jason] Kinney, who was a real JTAC instructor at Fort Irwin, called us and said, ‘Hey, you guys have got to come out and see what we actually do. So we went out there and stayed for two weeks, calling in 9-lines to F-35s. So that changed how we looked at everything, including the script. We met real drone operators, and we just scrapped how we had written the initial film. We started over.”

Land of Bad Is a Military Thriller Reminiscent of the ’90s

Land of Bad is undoubtedly action-packed, with guns, explosions, and combat galore. The film is set in the South Philippines and follows a four-man Delta Force team sent on a rescue mission. Making up the fourth man is Liam Hemsworth’s character, Kinney, AKA Playboy, who unexpectedly becomes part of the extradition team. The JTAC operator is alien to the on-the-ground mission and is nervous and unprepared for the demands of the operation. However, he grows into his shoes, becoming the hero that his team needs. To do so, he teams up with Air Force drone pilot Reaper, played by Russell Crowe, who, together with Staff Sgt. Nia Branson (Chika Ikogwe) serves as the elite team’s eyes in the sky.

Although the action and combat in the film are aided by high-level technology, the film still exudes the aura of a ’90s military film. William Eubank has claimed that making Land of Bad reminiscent of the ’90s was a purposeful move. Speaking to Task and Purpose, the director said he is a huge fan of ’90s action in the jungle. This is where the idea of basing Land of Bad in the jungle of South Philippines, instead of the mainstream sandy Middle East or Afghanistan, was born. The director expressed that he wanted to offer viewers a different narrative that deviated from the setting of military thrillers in the last few decades. The solution was a throwback to action films of the ’90s, and if viewer reviewers are anything to go by, Eubank has succeeded in his mission.

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The awareness that the production team behind Land of Bad has ensured that the film and the core elements it focuses on are as militarily accurate as possible makes the film inch that much higher on a list of must-watch military thrillers. Putting Liam Hemsworth in a military environment, teaming him up with the Oscar-winning Russell Crowe, and giving the film a throwback-to-90s-action vibe, Land of Bad does many things right.

While the narrative is somewhat tried and tested, an elite team on a rescue op, the manner in which Eubank allows the storyline to progress, the accuracy that is interspersed into the narrative, and the dynamic between Hemsworth and Crowe make Land of Bad an action-filled, entertaining watch. Land of Bad is streaming on Netflix.