Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases
Powder at the Farm
The mercenary squad regroups in the forest and investigates a nearby farm. Orange powder, a sabotaged jeep, mutilated bodies, and a captive reveal that the mission is deeply abnormal.
Key Events
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Squad Rejoins in Forest — Reeves and Karlsson rejoin Smith's squad with two hooded captives. Characters: Reeves, Karlsson, Gantz, Capper, Evans, Smith
Location: Forest
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Capper Is Sedated — Karlsson sedates Capper after his leg is badly wounded. Characters: Karlsson, Capper, Reeves, Smith
Location: Forest
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Farm Investigation Ordered — Evans reports a nearby farm and jeep, so Smith orders an investigation. Characters: Evans, Smith, Reeves, Gantz, Karlsson
Location: Forest near a farm
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Orange Powder Discovered — Reeves vomits after seeing orange powder, while Evans becomes increasingly erratic. Characters: Reeves, Evans, Karlsson, Capper
Location: Farm
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Sabotaged Jeep Found — Evans discovers that the jeep engine has been gruesomely sabotaged. Characters: Evans, Karlsson, Reeves, Gantz
Location: Farm
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Decapitated Group D — Reeves and Gantz find Group D mercenaries and captives decapitated in a barn. Characters: Reeves, Gantz
Location: Farm barn
Flight into the Tank
An enemy flare forces the squad into a field and an abandoned armored vehicle. A prisoner attacks Gantz, while unseen attackers try to breach the vehicle.
Key Events
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Woman Found in Container — The squad finds Annabella inside a container and sedates her after she panics. Characters: Reeves, Gantz, Karlsson, Smith, Annabella
Location: Farm storage container
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Forced Retreat — An enemy flare triggers Smith's retreat, leaving Capper behind as hooded figures approach. Characters: Smith, Reeves, Gantz, Evans, Karlsson, Capper
Location: Farm and field
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Prisoner Stabs Gantz — A prisoner stabs Gantz while entering the vehicle, and Reeves kills the attacker. Characters: Gantz, Reeves, Prisoner, Smith, Karlsson
Location: Abandoned armored vehicle
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Vehicle Door Jammed — Attackers try to open the vehicle, while Gantz jams the door from inside. Characters: Gantz, Reeves, Karlsson, Smith, Annabella
Location: Armored vehicle
Kratos and the Captive
Inside the vehicle, the group discovers a corpse, bottles of Kratos, and Annabella's uncertain explanation of the powder. The locked vehicle becomes both shelter and a source of suspicion.
Key Events
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Squad Sedated Inside — Karlsson gives the survivors tranquilizers to help them sleep inside the vehicle. Characters: Karlsson, Reeves, Gantz, Smith, Annabella
Location: Armored vehicle
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Corpse in the Front — Gantz finds a rotting corpse while attempting to repair the vehicle. Characters: Gantz, Smith, Reeves
Location: Armored vehicle front
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Kratos Bottles Found — The group finds orange powder labeled Kratos; Annabella explains its meaning as strength and power. Characters: Gantz, Reeves, Annabella, Karlsson
Location: Armored vehicle
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Reeves Questions Annabella — Reeves questions Annabella, who claims to be a teacher and cannot remember why she is there. Characters: Reeves, Annabella
Location: Armored vehicle
The Dead on Paper
Gantz encounters a monstrous figure, while Karlsson finds dossiers declaring the squad and captives dead. Evans's identity tags and Smith's secret notes expose the mission's impossible records.
Key Events
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Smith Hides His Notebook — The squad argues about Smith's notebook, but Smith refuses to reveal its contents. Characters: Smith, Reeves, Gantz, Karlsson, Annabella
Location: Armored vehicle
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Gas Masked Enemy Seen — Gantz reports orange powder on the engine and sees a monstrous gasmask-wearing enemy outside. Characters: Gantz, Karlsson, Reeves, Smith
Location: Outside the armored vehicle
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Dossiers List Them Dead — Karlsson finds dossiers identifying the mercenaries and captives as dead, including Smith. Characters: Karlsson, Smith, Reeves, Gantz, Evans, Capper, Annabella
Location: Armored vehicle
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Evans Identified by Tags — Reeves discovers that the corpse's dog tags identify it as Evans. Characters: Reeves, Evans, Smith
Location: Armored vehicle front
The Experiment Works
Capper returns to taunt the survivors and consumes Kratos. Smith and Annabella die, Reeves kills Capper with the vehicle, and researchers reveal that the ordeal was an experiment.
Key Events
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Capper Taunts the Survivors — Capper refuses to open the hatch, taunts Reeves, and questions what Karlsson has injected. Characters: Capper, Reeves, Karlsson, Smith, Gantz
Location: Armored vehicle hatch
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Smith and Annabella Die — Annabella fires the flare gun during a struggle; Karlsson kills her and discovers Smith's dosage notes. Characters: Smith, Annabella, Karlsson
Location: Armored vehicle
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Reeves Starts the Engine — Reeves starts the engine after Capper ingests Kratos and provokes him. Characters: Reeves, Capper
Location: Armored vehicle
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Capper Is Run Over — Capper falls and challenges Reeves to run him over; Reeves drives over him. Characters: Reeves, Capper
Location: Field
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Survivor Flees the Vehicle — A surviving woman wakes, finds the hatch unjammed, and flees after discovering the others dead. Characters: Reeves
Location: Armored vehicle
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Experiment Declared Successful — Hazmat-suited figures arrive, a gas-masked man says the experiment worked, and Reeves is ordered killed. Characters: Reeves
Location: Forest
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The Next Experiment Begins — The opening forest returns as a loudspeaker announces another experiment and a soldier emerges.
Location: Forest near a white box
With nowhere else to hide, a group of mercenaries and their prisoners take cover inside a long abandoned Bulldog tank. But, while they try to keep the forces outside at bay, the real enemy is already among them, locked inside the 'Belly of the Bulldog'. After collaborating closely with Ben Wheatley on FREE FIRE, HIGH-RISE, A FIELD IN ENGLAND and KILL LIST, director Nick Gillespie makes his feature debut.