Warhorse One marks heartfelt directorial debut
Warhorse One is the passion project of multi-hyphenate actor, writer and musician Johnny Strong (best known from the original The Fast and the Furious and Black Hawk Down), who can now add ‘filmmaker’ to his list of roles. Marking his directorial debut, seen here co-directing and co-writing with William Kaufman (who helmed top-tier collaborations like Sinners and Saints and Daylight’s End), this is still very much Strong’s baby and feels like his most personal statement yet.
Strong is a very interesting man and an artist who’s work I’ve followed for many years. Having first spoken for my original Life of Action book, for this film alone, we had an extensive conversation over a year before it was released. That formed a two part deep-dive interview while he was still busy in post-production, intimately involved in all aspects of his project. It also sheds light on how much meticulous work went into it, and the significance it holds for him. So, having had this on my radar for sometime, the film has at last arrived in North America, and I was excited to finally see him step into this next chapter of his career.
The film depicts a desperate civilian rescue attempt, set in motion shortly after the 2021 withdrawal of the United States military from Afghanistan. After a SEAL team helicopter is shot down en route to a rendezvous point, the lone surviving operator, Master Chief Richard Mirko (Strong) must evade hostile insurgents and navigate dangerous terrain while leading a traumatised young girl, Zoe (Athena Durner), to safety. The relatively simple setup and stripped back cast serves a more emotional and deeper, meditative story of duty, destiny and sacrifice, compared to the type of action picture one might expect.
At once, the beautiful open landscape, which our protagonist finds himself dropped into, is both visually epic, while feeling claustrophobic. As he speaks to HQ with muffled comms, the striking terrain appears endless, with no way off these rolling mountains. His team killed and with enemy insurgents descending on the crash site, he is quickly outnumbered. From the outset, we see that the Master Chief is a skilled operator in the field, but avoiding ‘one man army’ action tropes, the stakes feel realistic as he moves quickly and quietly, engaging enemies when he needs to, but fleeing when he must (one stunt, a dangerous leap-of-faith into water rapids which Strong performed himself, nearly cost him his life).
As expected from this sub-genre, and knowing those at the helm, the tactical action is tense, hyper-realistic and hard-hitting. Director William Kaufman, in particular, is very adept at shooting this style of gunplay and always keeps his action grounded. Strong is also a skilled marksman and brings authenticity to these roles. While there is undeniable cinematic style in what is most likely Kaufman’s spin on the action, the violence and consequences are played straight. Bullet hits count and walls aren’t sprayed with holes; ammo is used sparingly.
We should remember that Strong always plays these cool, stoic roles effortlessly. Kaufman, himself, has commented on how he was first drawn to his friend’s old-time movie star vibe. However, their films together have shown he still has vulnerability which makes him sympathetic, playing characters on some path of redemption, slightly broken, with tragedy scarred into them. One of the most interesting aspects, which didn’t fully occur to me until later, is that the film tells us almost nothing about this character, and yet for the duration of the mission, it feels like we know everything about him, at the very least who he is, what he stands for and what he’s going to do, at any cost.
Young actress Athena Durner is excellent and gives a very naturalistic performance, anchoring the weight of tragedy around her. The toll taken on this orphaned child gives Mirko his purpose. For this highly trained soldier, fiercely focused and acutely aware of the dangers around them, all of his quiet, paternal moments are shared with Zoe. The supporting cast are very good, with Raj Kala standing out as the terrifyingly cold and calculating insurgent leader Radam, but this is very much a two-hander, with the heart and soul built around Mirko’s bond with Zoe.
Much like the sprawling terrain, juxtaposed with the feeling of being trapped, the film feels visceral and adrenaline-driven at times, yet in the next moment quiet and contemplative. It’s an unusual and unique approach, leaning more into being an emotional, slow-burn thriller than any kind of explosive spectacle. Like the kind of close-quarters combat Mirko finds himself in during the tense finale, the result is more personal. Strong pays tribute to the casualties of war, the courage and sacrifice it calls on, and his real-life military friends and collaborators - many of whom play roles and provide support on the film. He also pays homage to his earlier work in Black Hawk Down (in which he portrayed Sergeant First Class Randy Shughart), and his admiration for director Ridley Scott. This especially comes across during nerve-wracking scenes of chaos during the finale, with Strong’s own music score (brilliantly haunting and affecting) seemingly paying tribute to Hans Zimmer’s BHD score, which echoes in WHO’s closing scene.
The film was independently made with a small crew and, by all accounts, Strong was overseeing every stage of the process, from pre to post-production. That being said, in dealing with the themes of war, depicting military tactics, and the redemptive story contained within, this is perhaps the most Johnny Strong film you’re likely to see!
Understanding Strong’s background and career trajectory is by no means necessary, but may give depth and context to the journey getting here, and what feels like a bigger mission statement. He started out as as a child actor, and as an adult landed roles in major studio films. All this, before making what many would consider a crazy choice, to step away from Hollywood and focus on driving his own independent work, which he found far more fulfilling. Rather than chasing roles in movies which didn’t interest him, he seems far happier training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, crafting handmade knives which would become collector’s pieces, and composing music in his studio (he has released hard rock albums on major labels under the name ‘Operator’, as well as scoring his films).
Ironically, his diverse interests and shifted focus in film has frustrated some fans, who would come to recognise his later output as rare and selective. But the majority would eagerly await that next film, because it always felt authentic. Now, he has entered his latest phase as a filmmaker and storyteller in Warhorse One. While filmmaking is known to be a product of many hands, this does feel like a craftsman channeling his vision through a small and trusted group, in no small way baring his soul through the work onscreen. At the end of the day, isn’t that the most truthful expression of art?
Don’t forget you can read my in-depth interview with Johnny Strong on Warhorse One here
Warhorse One is now playing in selected North America theatres and available On Demand and Digital on 4th July from Well Go USA. More territories to follow soon.