Walking into Only The Brave, I had one thought in my head: this is going to be terrible. The trailer made the film look boring, and stellar scores from critics and fans alike weren't enough to change my mind. The only thing that changed my mind was watching the film itself. Because, the story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots is more than just a 2 minute trailer. It's a story of a group of firemen, and their experiences, moments of brotherhood, and defining moments that they shared as a group. Sure enough, it sounds like a cliche, but the story is little known, which breaks down the barriers of cliches. The story is heartwarming, amazing, beautiful, and sad at the all time, and the ability for Only The Brave to include all these emotions, and more, in one film, is truly spectacular. Only The Brave gets so much right, and almost nothing wrong, propelling it to be one of the best films of its kind, even of the year. The film is star-studded, with every single person playing their role perfectly. The film is set in Arizona, and has western tones, but doesn't overdo the western effects. The accents, ranches, and horseback riding is all the western the movie has, which is another reason it's so amazing. The film knows what kind of movie it wants to be: a serious drama showing the true brotherhood and history of one of the most spectacular hotshot crews in firefighting. And it stops at nothing to get there. Without knowing anything about the story, anything was fair game, which proved especially truthful as the film neared its ending, with one of the most surprising endings I've ever seen in a nonfictional film. Especially amazing is Miles Teller, who just proves that he can sink into any role and play it perfectly. Teller has played countless roles in different genres of movies in the past, and is starring in Universal's Thank You For Your Service, releasing this Friday, but here, he brings a different side of himself. The same side we saw in Damien Chazelle's masterpiece Whiplash, a side that shows he's more than a comedic actor. He is capable of playing a serious role to its full potential. Bottom line, Only The Brave is a hidden gem. Word of advice, if you don't know the story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, don't look it up before seeing the movie. Let the story surprise you as it takes you on an emotional, yet spectacular journey. See this movie, because Only The Brave will work its way to the best firefighter movie you have ever seen. Trust me.
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