In 2010, a group of rogue American army soldiers murdered three civilians during the War in Afghanistan. Calling themselves “The Kill Team”, what followed was years of whistleblowers, legal proceedings and internal investigations.
New political documentary The Kill Team aims to explore the group and the events that followed. Framed by the storytelling of Army Specialist Adam Winfield, who had witnessed members of his platoon murder an innocent boy and was contemplating becoming a whistleblower, Winfield later faced murder charges for his involvement.
Examining the nature of war, attitudes of soldiers and the military justice system, producer/director Dan Krauss primarily focuses on Winfield and his parents leading up to the murder trial, other charged soldiers and Justin Stoner, the man who ultimately became the whistleblower. However the most shocking parts are the interviews with the soldiers themselves who turned boredom and distrust into a horrific killing spree.
Unfortunately Calvin Gibbs, the soldier’s staff sergeant, gets pinned with the blame and there is no opportunity for him to rebut the comments because he isn’t interviewed. Regardless, the documentary is superbly edited and the accompanying music is fantastic. Chilling and provocative, the verbatim of the soldiers and the legal proceedings makes the film unforgettable and asks the audience to reconsider what they already know and believe.
17.50/20
Originally published in Filmink Magazine, 1 October, 2014.
Eden Caceda 