Downriver 2016

This gripping tale unfolds against the backdrop of a fictionalized conflict between two unnamed nations, immersing viewers in the harrowing experiences of a group of soldiers who find themselves stranded deep behind enemy lines. As the story begins, a military-spec civilian truck, which has been designated for forward reconnaissance duties, unexpectedly breaks down a daunting six miles from friendly territory. Among the squad, Pvt. Avery, a Combat Correspondent, struggles to earn the trust of his fellow soldiers who are initially skeptical of his presence among them. This diverse group, led by the determined Lt. Harp, hatches a desperate plan: they aim to navigate their way to a nearby river, construct a makeshift raft, and under the sanctuary of night, attempt to float back to safety.

Throughout their perilous journey, the soldiers are deeply concerned for Avery’s well-being, especially given that he is armed with little more than a combat camera, a symbol of his mission to document the harsh realities of warfare. As they traverse the treacherous terrain, the squad encounters a native who finds himself caught in their web of conflict. In a tense atmosphere, the soldiers take turns standing guard over this native, engaging in a mixture of defiance and camaraderie as they build their raft and wait for darkness to fall. Pvt. Mills, whose brashness often crosses the line, cruelly taunts the native during his watch, which sets off a chain of tragic events. Ignoring the precarious situation, Mills cuts the native loose with hopes of shooting him down when he attempts to flee. However, fate intervenes dramatically and the native retaliates, leading to a heart-stopping confrontation that results in Mills suffering a fatal injury from a stab wound.

With Mills tragically bleeding out due to the lack of medical attention, the group is left shaken, and Harp decides it is prudent to spend the night and regroup in the morning. As the hours stretch on, a turning point occurs when Sgt. Silva awakens Pvt. Avery, revealing the location of two enemy perimeter guards. This bold decision plunges them into an audacious mission, resulting in violence as they infiltrate the enemy encampment, eliminating their adversaries and scavenging food in a desperate effort to survive.

With dawn breaking, the soldiers come together to construct their raft at the riverbank. As they strategize their escape, Silva uncovers a nearby enemy camp, which is alarmingly occupied by an enemy General. Convincing Harp to join in an assassination plot, Silva’s persuasive tactics lead them on a treacherous path to kill the General and seize a boat that could propel them downriver towards safety.

As night descends once more, the soldiers execute their daring plan to distract enemy guards while Avery and Harp carry out the assassination. However, the mission takes a grim turn when Silva is fatally injured, leaving Avery and Harp to navigate their harrowing escape against an unknown future. In a moment thick with grief and uncertainty, Harp abruptly halts their boat, expressing doubts about whether they are on the right river. Avery, beset by anguish from the loss of his comrade, makes an irreversible decision to discard his camera’s SD card into the river, symbolically severing ties to the painful memories captured within. In response to Harp’s incredulous questioning about his actions, Avery simply states, > “none of them are worth anything, anyway.”

As the two remaining survivors float into the abyss of night, the haunting uncertainty of their direction looms large. Harp admits he does not know their path, leaving their fates dangling precariously in a dark, surreal landscape. The culmination of tension, tragedy, and the human spirit emerges as these soldiers drift away, searching for light but enveloped in darkness.