Everyone Getting In On The Action In Netflix’s Outside the Wire

There's nothing quite like a dystopian war fantasy flick to kick off the chaotic year that is 2021. Netflix’s Outside the Wire is the sort of CGI-heavy action film that attempts to tackle a whole smattering of timely topics: the ethics of nuclear and drone warfare, artificial intelligence, racism, and a seemingly inevitable civil war, all set against the backdrop of personal growth and reckoning. The year is 2036. Damson Idris plays Lieutenant Thomas Harp, a drone pilot who is deployed to a war zone, where he’s partnered up with a top-secret android officer Leo (Anthony Mackie). Together, they’re tasked with stopping a nuclear attack that would undoubtedly wipe out a good portion of the earth’s inhabitants.

As with any war film, there are a number of other key players who add charm and character to the film, including a familiar face or two (see: Cannes best actress winner Emily Beecham). Here, we break down who’s who in the Mikael Hafstrom film that may ironically be just the sort of welcome distraction from reality we all need right now.