The film's gendered Orientalist narrative uses Iraq, its people and the US-led war there as the backdrop for a story about a white woman soldier finding herself and learning to love through her combat canine.

A heartfelt and touching film featuring one of Kate Mara's best performances.

Kate Mara is raw and riveting in the title role, a marine who ends up in combat in Iraq with a bomb-sniffing German shepherd. It's a true story that earns your tears.

The film teaches, educates, enlightens, and entertains, and does so in a straightforward manner while imparting lessons on personal responsibility and sacrifice. Work hard, stay focused, believe in a noble cause and it's likely you will succeed.