"Brutally honest...It would be unbelievable - if it weren't true." John D. Hutson, Dean Emeritus, University of New Hampshire School of Law

With extraordinary access to the key individuals involved in the case -- including Adam, his passionately supportive parents, and his startlingly candid compatriots -- THE KILL TEAM is an intimate look at the personal stories so often lost inside the larger coverage of the longest war in US history.



Grade Level: 10 - 12, College, Adults
US Release Date: 2015     Copyright Date: 2013
DVD ISBN: 1-94154-529-7

Reviews "This is a remarkable documentary. It reveals the members of the Kill Team as sympathetic characters even as the horror and immorality of their actions are on display. The movie also demonstrates the anguish of whistle-blowers and their families embedded in a military culture that circles the wagons to defend even the most egregious acts. Finally, it adds depth and nuance to our understanding of the political theater of that war." Dr. Charles Anthony Smith, Associate Professor, Political Science, University of California - Irvine, Author, The Rise and Fall of War Crimes Trials, From Charles I to Bush II "Soberly executed and highly principled documentary filmmaking." Andrew O'Hehir, Salon "Brutally honest, this is the true story of how soldiers in the most lethal army known to humankind can wantonly kill when leadership fails. It is a story that must be told, and will leave you staring thunderstruck at the screen as you sit speechless, watching the credits roll by. It would be unbelievable - if it weren't true." John D. Hutson, retired United States Navy rear admiral, Dean Emeritus, University of New Hampshire School of Law "Highly Recommended...chilling...An essential selection for public and academic libraries that collect documentaries on current events and the U.S. War effort. A discussion generator in classes related to psychology, sociology, history, ethics, and war." Jeffrey Pearson, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Educational Media Reviews Online "An essential film no matter what your political convictions." David Edelstein, New York Magazine "Kill Team is an unusual and startling documentary, with far fewer stereotypes and more disturbing truths about infantry soldiers at war than the 10,000 TV news chats, movies and recruiting advertisements you've seen during the past decade. The Kill Team does not exploit gore. It instead relies on first person interviews, 21st Century pervasive media, and US Army prosecution evidence to explore genuinely complex questions about fear, combat teams, and war crimes in ways I've not seen on film before. ROTC and military audiences should make a point of seeing and discussing The Kill Team." Christopher Simpson, Professor of Journalism, American University, Author, Science of Coercion: Communication Research and Psychological Warfare "A deeply disturbing film, this is highly recommended." C. Cassady, Video Librarian "Chilling, concise, and clear-eyed." Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times "A highly dramatic and necessary documentary. It will make you both sad and angry, just the way that the long, long war in Afghanistan does. Highly recommended." Louis Proyect, The Unrepentant Marxist "The Kill Team is a very powerful study of the power of one leader and of unit culture in shaping ethical conduct on the battlefield, and the difficulty of exercising moral courage amidst that pressure." Dr. Martin Cook, Professor of Professional Military Ethics, US Naval War College, Author, The Moral Warrior: Ethics and Service in the US Military and Issues in Military Ethics "Devastating...A formidable contender." Stephen Holden, The New York Times "This powerful film traces the moral dilemma of a 21-year-old U.S. Army private forced to choose between blowing the whistle on war crimes being committed by fellow soldiers and facing their deadly wrath, or becoming a participant in the illegal killing of unarmed civilians. It highlights the dehumanization of Afghan people by some members of the military, which enables them to become killing machines. The Kill Team serves as poignant evidence that the U.S. military does not belong in other countries, killing their people and damaging our own soldiers who remain haunted by what they did." Marjorie Cohn, Professor, Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Co-author, Rules of Disengagement: The Politics and Honor of Military Dissent "Has the kind of urgent intimacy that characterizes the best such non-fiction films...Astonishing." Ian Bailey, The Globe and Mail "The Kill Team tells the stories of young, immature soldiers who find that some of their enemies are 'within.' How, they ask, are they supposed to react when their team is led by those who are willing to murder innocent Afghans? How, they also ask, should they be treated by the military establishment once it discovers what is going on? These stories exhibit the struggles of these soldiers and their families, as the soldiers face imprisonment for what has happened." Nicholas Fotion, Professor of Philosophy, Emory University, Author, War and Ethics: A New Just War Theory "An intimate look into a military culture that allowed bored young soldiers to commit murder...Very highly recommended for adult video collections." Cliff Glaviano, Library Journal "The most daring documentary of the year so far...A stunning, powerful film that boldly complicates the conversation around America's wars." Daniel Walber, Film School Rejects "Among the most vital documents of the war in Afghanistan." David Ehrlich, Film.com "Hits all the right buttons: political injustice, moral outrage, and emotional catharsis." Anthony Kaufman, Indiewire