Henry Cavill and Glen Powell's Forgotten War Drama Resurges on Streaming

6 days ago 14

Henry Cavill as Captain Syverson in Netflix film Sand Castle

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Nearly ten years after it first arrived in theaters, Sand Castle — the gritty Iraq War drama featuring Henry Cavill and Glen Powell — is quietly climbing Netflix’s streaming charts, marking a surprise resurgence for a film that once largely slipped under the pop-culture radar. Released in 2017, Sand Castle follows a young U.S. Army unit tasked with restoring water to an Iraqi village, thrusting them into the moral gray zones of counterinsurgency, unintended consequences, and the emotional costs of combat. At the time, the movie received mixed reviews and modest box office returns, overshadowed by bigger war epics and franchise fare of the era.

Here's the official synopsis for Sand Castle:

"Set in Iraq in 2003, Sand Castle follows a group of American soldiers in the early days of the second Gulf War. Bearing witness to the heat and the horror is the inexperienced Private Matt Ocre (Nicholas Hoult), who, together with several fellow soldiers, is ordered to the outskirts of Baqubah to repair a water pumping station damaged by U.S. bombs. But, as Ocre discovers, in an atmosphere where resentment and anger fester, trying to win the hearts and minds of the locals is a task fraught with danger. It’s here, in the streets, squares and schools that he discovers the true cost of war. The film stars Nicholas Hoult, Henry Cavill, Glen Powell, Logan Marshall-Green, Beau Knapp, Neil Brown Jr., Parker Sawyers, Sam Spruell, Sammy Sheik, Tommy Flanagan and is available only on Netflix April 21."

Is 'Sand Castle' Worth Watching?

Collider's retrospective review of the movie stated that Sand Castle remains one of Cavill’s most overlooked and compelling performances, arriving at a time when the actor’s franchise-heavy career often overshadowed his dramatic range. Released quietly on Netflix in 2017, the Iraq War drama gave Cavill space to shed heroic archetypes and explore something far darker and more unsettling. As Captain Syverson, he delivers a bleak, introspective turn that captures disillusionment, moral fatigue, and creeping irrelevance within the machinery of war. The review argues that Sand Castle proves Cavill is far more than a blockbuster leading man, showcasing a depth and restraint largely absent from his more high-profile roles.

"We also get to see Henry Cavill portray a disturbing complexity in Sand Castle that’s absent in his blockbuster roles as his character hints at his growing xenophobia and self-hatred. Despite being British, Cavill’s characters are often symbols of the American spirit, whether they’re superheroes, super spies, or CIA agents. Syverson shows the dark side of democracy as he angrily condemns the local civilians with racist comments. During one of the most disturbing scenes, Syverson speaks to a local who cannot understand him and delivers an offensive tirade, showing how racism has infected all corners of American culture."

Sand Castle is streaming now on Netflix.