Review: SEMPER FI Is a Story of Brotherhood, Friendship, and the Lengths We Go to for the People We Love

I was able to get an early screener for the movie Semper Fi last weekend, and I was really surprised by the film. It was co-written and directed by Henry Alex Rubin (Girl, Interrupted, Murderball), and co-written by Sean Mullin (Amira and Sam). The film stars Jai Courtney (The Suicide Squad), Nat Wolff (Paper Towns), Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl), Finn Wittrock (American Horror Story), Beau Knapp (Destroyer), and Arturo Castro (Narcos).

In the film, Cal (Courtney) is a police officer in the Marine Corps Reserve who is trying to get by while helping his younger half-brother Oyster (Wolff) stay out of trouble. Cal is put in a difficult situation when Oyster is imprisoned for an accidental murder, and he is deployed for Iraq alongside their friends. The film gave me the feeling that I was watching the real story of these men who had known each other their entire lives. They were so real, and so raw. I was so struck by each and every performance.

Semper Fi took unexpected turns, and although some scenes left me feeling gutted alongside these characters whose lives were altered by no fault of their own, in the end, it left me hopeful and feeling triumphant. I cried and cheered right alongside them, and I was so surprised by the honest connection I felt to the characters on the screen. I recommend this film, and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

See Semper Fi in theaters, On Demand, and On Digital today, October 4th.