MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for Once In The Desert

Once In The Desert

2022 · 121 min

A tense, slow-burning war drama that follows a demining team through constant danger, with a heavy emotional weight and a somber atmosphere.

Directed by
Andrei Kravchuk
Genres
War, Drama
Starring
Aleksandr Robak, Pavel Chinaryov, Aleksandr Metelkin
Overview
The films follows a Syrian War Explosive Ordnance Disposal team who are targeted by ISIS militants while they prepare the recently liberated historic site of Palmyra to hold a symbolic concert of the Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra. The peacekeeping event can only be held in Palmyra that has been severely damaged by the terrorists only if the ancient city and the roads leading to it are defused. The EOD team clears the way one kilometer at a time. But the closer they get to the center of Palmyra, the more destructive the explosives. Tension grows between the young team Captain and the most experienced of the EOD experts. And yet, despite their differences, when the team falls into an ambush and the Captain goes missing, it’s the experienced sapper that sets out to search for him.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

Stream in the UK
  • Amazon Prime Video
More options Data from JustWatch
Directed by
Andrei Kravchuk
Genres
War, Drama
Starring
Aleksandr Robak, Pavel Chinaryov, Aleksandr Metelkin
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 3 of 3
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
Pacing
slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • war
  • survival
  • loyalty
  • betrayal
  • redemption
Places
  • military
  • wilderness
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • serialised
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence strong
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action5
Horror3
Humour1
Realism8
Romance1
Tension8
Darkness7
Complexity5
Emotional weight7

More like this

Titles like Once In The Desert

Movie

Infiltration

2022

A tense, gritty rescue mission that keeps you on edge with its relentless pursuit and raw portrayal of a soldier's haunted past.

Tense, dark · about war and survival

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • war
  • survival
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
110 min
Details
InfiltrationHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Mission «Sky»

2021

A tense, earnest war drama that puts you in the cockpit and on the ground with pilots facing sudden danger.

Tense, earnest · about war and survival

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • war
  • survival
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
110 min
Details
Mission «Sky»Hidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Through The Fog

2016

A grim, slow-pressure war drama that keeps you tense and watchful, with little relief and a heavy sense of duty.

Tense, dark · about war and survival

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • war
  • survival
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
135 min
Details
Through The FogHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

1999

2027

A grim, claustrophobic siege that grinds you down with constant pressure and the quiet weight of desperate men holding a line.

Tense, dark · about war and survival

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • war
  • survival
Pacing
relentless
Attention
engaged
Runtime
120 min
Details
1999Hidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Tank

2025

A claustrophobic, nerve-shredding descent into madness inside a metal box, where every creak and shadow feels like a threat.

Tense, dark, slow-burn · about war and survival

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • war
  • survival
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
117 min
Details
The TankHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

De Gaulle: Résistance

2026

A tense, weighty historical drama that immerses you in the desperate resolve of one man against the collapse of his nation.

Tense, dark · about war and survival

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • war
  • survival
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
160 min
Details
De Gaulle: RésistanceHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

No Man's Land

2020

A tense, globe-trotting plunge into a brutal conflict, balancing thriller momentum with a somber, humanistic gaze.

Tense, dark · about war and survival

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • war
  • survival
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Seasons
2
Details
No Man's LandHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Kaukopartio

A tense, slow-burning war drama that immerses you in a dangerous mission through harsh wilderness, with a bleak and earnest tone.

Tense, dark, slow-burn · about war and survival

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • war
  • survival
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Details
KaukopartioHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Outpost

2020

A tense, immersive war drama that puts you in the boots of soldiers under siege, blending chaotic combat with quiet moments of camaraderie and loss.

Tense, dark · about war and survival

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • war
  • survival
Pacing
relentless
Attention
engaged
Runtime
123 min
Details
The OutpostHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

1917

2019

A relentless, immersive plunge into danger, where every step feels precarious and the weight of a fragile mission presses down.

Tense, earnest · about war and survival

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • war
  • survival
Pacing
relentless
Attention
demanding
Runtime
119 min
Details
1917Hidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Victorious Mehmets

2018–2019

A solemn, slow-burning war drama that immerses you in muddy trenches and moral weight, rewarding patience with tense standoffs and emotional sacrifice.

Tense, earnest, slow-burn · about war and survival

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • war
  • survival
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Seasons
2
Details
Victorious MehmetsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

One Last Shot

2026

A tense, disheartening race against time with hard-hitting action and a somber edge.

Tense, dark · about survival and loyalty

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • survival
  • loyalty
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
98 min
Details
One Last ShotHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Stream
  • Amazon Prime Video
Rent or buy
  • Amazon Video

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
war, drama
Directed by
Andrei Kravchuk
Written by
Arif Aliev
Starring
Aleksandr Robak, Pavel Chinaryov, Aleksandr Metelkin, Ekaterina Nesterova, Igor Gordin, Polina Pushkaruk, Vitaliya Kornienko, Anna Potebnya
Music
Kuzma Bodrov
Cinematography
Morad Abdel-Fattakh
Runtime
121 min
Country
Russia
Languages
Russian, Arabic

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata