After His Squadron Is Killed, the Injured Castle Relies on a Portable Radio He Nicknames Lassie to Guide Him Home

Scott Eastwood plays Capt John Castle, a US army officer stranded behind enemy lines in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge, in this competent thriller with tense set pieces and clunky passages. After his squadron is killed, the injured Castle relies on a portable radio he nicknames Lassie to guide him home. The film includes a harrowing sequence with a Walloon family who hide Castle under their floorboards, and a nail-biting moment where Castle plays dead among slain soldiers only to discover the corpse beside him is alive.

The best scene finds Castle suspecting a lone American he meets in the forest, given the man's sympathetic words about Hitler and scant baseball knowledge. Eastwood, with his father Clint's sharp jawline but a goofier bearing, proves likable if not commanding. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor appears briefly as a framing device. Lucky Strike hits digital platforms on 10 August.