For Your Re(Consideration): 13 Hours is a Gripping War Drama Undone by Michael Bay’s Excess

Michael Bay’s 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi recounts the sombre event of the 2012 attack on a US diplomatic compound and a covert CIA-annex base in Benghazi, Libya. It dramatizes the efforts of an ensemble of six American security contractors who courageously repelled an onslaught of militants — an approach that retains its visceral impact a decade after release.

It’s a grim narration set against the backdrop of a war-torn Libya post-Muammar Gaddafi deposition that fetishizes militarized spectacle, framing the crisis as an endurance test of firepower rather than a political tragedy. However, despite the film’s over-the-top cinematography, it graciously immortalizes the heroic act of the GRS that chose to prioritize the safety of Americans even against a higher authority.

13 Hours Reinforces Distrust of Institutional Authority

13 Hours revisits the 2012 event in Benghazi, rife with turf wars and societal instability. The movie makes it clear from the outset the morbid situation to expect in the Libyan city with Tyrone Woods’ remark, “...this place is bad, you can’t tell the good guys from the bad guys,” presaging an ominous event. Based on Mitchell Zuckoff’s non-fiction book "13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi," Bay’s film takes an overblown thriller approach. This works well for war-film enthusiasts, but rather than interrogating the political vacuum that enabled the attack, the film narrows its focus to kinetic survival, sidelining broader context in favor of momentum.

The film follows Jack Silva's (John Krasinski) reunion with Tyrone “Rone” Woods (James Badge Dale) for a security contract gig for the GRS, a ragtag team of contractors including Mark "Oz" Geist (Max Martini), John "Tig" Tiegen (Dominic Fumusa), Kris "Tanto" Paronto (Pablo Schreiber) and Dave "Boon" Benton (David Denman), with the objective of acting as security detail at the CIA Annex. Regarded by Chief Bob as mere failsafes (David Constabile) to insulate the CIA base in case of any conflict, his interactions with the team of contractors reveal friction between the condescending CIA operatives and the GRS.

This internal strife forms a huge chunk of the heavy 45-minute opening act that takes too long to kick off the story’s raison d'être. Eventually, the bubble bursts with the attack on the Libyan U.S. diplomatic compound, trapping Ambassador Chris Stevens (Matt Letscher) in a fiery prison surrounded by terrorists. The conflict brings the relationship between the contractors and the GRS to a breaking point, ultimately forcing them to act against Bob’s wishes.

13 Hours Tells a Heroic Tale Amidst Overblown Gimmicks

Michael Bay’s signature directorial style of intense, fast-paced action and torrential battles comes into play in 13 Hours, as the film focuses primarily on the conflicts between warring militants. When roughly 40 gunmen lay siege to the consulate in Benghazi over a 13-hour stretch, things start to get heated — literally. Amidst the intense gun battles and the conflagrated diplomatic outpost, Bay’s gimmicks are impossible to miss, most memorably in a Mercedes-Benz tearing through Benghazi with its wheels on fire, impervious to ricocheting bullets and repeated explosions.

Despite the docudrama's excessive high-octane action, it succinctly highlights Benghazi’s unrest and instability. The February 17 martyrs — the brigade the CIA coordinates with — are a literal and metaphorical representation of Benghazi’s instability, societal divide, and chaotic nature. As the contractors occasionally question and anticipate the whimsical actions of Feb 17 allies, it underpins a fragmented social structure. Even the non-militant natives are so hardened by war and strife that they appear unshaken by heated battles and the sight of heavy-duty guns.

13 Hours takes an atypical approach to the contractors' characterization, offering little character development or variety. Because the contractors are defined more by function than personality, their personal stakes struggle to compete with the film’s relentless action. Regardless, the movie has heart and leans into the contractors' vulnerability. Most are married with wives and kids, awaiting their return, and Jack Silva’s wife is pregnant. These revelations raise the stakes briefly for the team before it’s overwhelmed by everlasting stretches of combat and explosions, which quickly lose their appeal and become tedious to watch.

Benghazi is a literal landmine for the Americans in the CIA annex; there is no escape and no air support, and it falls on the six contractors to commandeer operations against unrelenting terrorists. Consequently, it’s one hyper-realistic bombardment after another in 13 Hours that could have worked with a more intentional trim rather than the “let loose” approach Bay chooses to take in this bloated docudrama.

For 13 Hours heroes to shine, secondary antagonists like Bob will partly be blamed for the late dispatch of the GRS in saving the Ambassador. Ultimately, 13 Hours falls short as a historical reckoning but succeeds as a muscular tribute — honoring its six soldiers while being hemmed in by Michael Bay’s signature excess.