To Be a Soldier is a gritty movie about war—with all of its violence realistically and graphically portrayed—yet, its message of the Christian faith and of love and sacrifice shines through. Jacob Dufour stars as British salesman Gregory Kirk in this movie, which was inspired by true events. His sister Sophie (Julie Streble) has gone missing in the Middle East and might well be a victim of ISIS soldiers. Posing as a journalist, Gregory hires a former Army ranger named Bryce Daniels (T.L. Bridger) to help him get through various war-torn areas in the hope of finding his sister. But he tells Bryce he is going in search of a group of imprisoned Americans in order to solicit his help. The story takes place in 2014.

The horrors of war soon become clear to Gregory as he sees murdered and bloody victims and some Islamic terrorists set some captives on fire. Bryce has own struggles, having gotten used to killing, but he can’t forget the Christian woman he loved, a woman named Heather. She could not live with the possibility of him being killed in war but did leave him her photo in a Bible. Her Christian faith continues to haunt him as he struggles with what he believes. In one dramatic scene Bryce tells Gregory, “I’ve taken so many lives. Not a day goes by that I don’t wish I could give one back. I was hoping maybe I could do that with you.” This film features some very moving scenes, including a scene in which Bryce finds a dead mother a short distance from her son, and the son dies as Gregory attempts to give him a drink of water. He lays her son’s body next to hers and joins their hands together. Actor Jacob Dufour who plays Gregory is also responsible for the music score, which is both dramatic and moving, stirring the viewer at the appropriate times of sadness and important events as they unfold in the story.

The film depicts the violent war moments very realistically; very bloody wounds are seen, a lot of people are killed by guns and grenades, and people are set on fire, too. The scenes of war in the picture will move people to be grateful for the soldiers that defend their freedom. We are awarding our Faith-Based Seal to the film, for ages 18 and above, due to the scenes of violence. One will not soon forget this movie, which has a powerful conclusion and embodies the word “sacrifice.”