The Objective
A Special Forces team faces paranormal forces in Afghanistan.
The Objective is a 2008 science fiction horror film directed by Daniel Myrick, who co-wrote it with Mark A. Patton and Wesley Clark, Jr. The cast includes Jonas Ball, Matthew R. Anderson, and Michael C. Williams. The story centers on CIA Agent Benjamin Keynes, who recalls leading a Special Forces team into the mountains of Afghanistan to locate an Afghan cleric, where they experience bizarre paranormal events. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2008 and in the United States in February 2009.
In Ghazni Province, eastern Afghanistan, a U.S. Army Special Forces team—led by Chief Warrant Officer Wally Hamer and including Master Sergeant Kenny Tanner and Sergeants Vince Degetau, Joe Trinoski, Tim Cole, and Pete Sadler—meets CIA Agent Keynes. Keynes tells them their mission is to find a key Afghan cleric named Mohammed Aban. After insertion, the team picks up a local guide, Abdul, in a village in Ghazni Province, Aban’s home region, and heads into the mountains where the cleric is known to hide.
As they ascend, strange events begin. Gunmen ambush the team, killing Trinoski; the soldiers return fire and kill several attackers, but the bodies vanish. That night, they see vehicle headlights approach, but the two lights separate, shoot into the sky, and disappear. They radio for a helicopter resupply but lose radio and GPS reception the next day. Their damaged truck struggles up the mountain. At night, they hear a helicopter they cannot see; when it seems directly overhead, the noise stops abruptly—an impossibility. Their radio picks up unintelligible speech in Persian or Arabic. They cache Trinoski’s body to move to safer ground, but the next morning find parts of it scattered across rocks. Higher up, they spot triangular stick markers on the mountainside. Continuing on foot through barren, rocky terrain, fatigue and confusion mount. They find a cave with an old man who gives them shelter and refills their canteens. Sergeant Sadler notices the man appears to be wearing a nineteenth-century British army uniform under his robes and recalls a legend of a British regiment that disappeared in these mountains, leaving only one survivor. In the morning, Sergeant Cole sees the old man seemingly talking to himself; through night vision goggles, Cole sees a group of men in black robes with swords. Panicking, he opens fire and accidentally kills the old
- Premiere location
- Tribeca Film Festival
Lore & Background
The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2008 and in the United States in February 2009. Its plot centers on a U.S. Army Special Forces team inserted into Ghazni Province, eastern Afghanistan, to locate an Afghan cleric named Mohammed Aban. As the team ventures into the mountains, they experience a series of unexplained events: an ambush where the bodies of slain gunmen vanish, strange lights that separate and fly into the sky, radio and GPS failures, and a helicopter that makes noise but remains invisible. The team discovers triangular markers, an old man wearing a nineteenth-century British army uniform, and a valley that appears where none existed before. After several soldiers are vaporized by a bright light, Keynes reveals that the CIA has been monitoring a nearly invisible triangular object since 19
Reader's Guide
The Objective represents a blend of science fiction and horror set against the backdrop of the War in Afghanistan. Directed by Daniel Myrick, co-director of The Blair Witch Project, the film revisits themes of found footage and psychological tension in a remote, hostile environment. Reviews were mixed: some critics found it low-budget with an unremarkable cast, while others praised its sustained tension and ambiguous ending. The film's use of Afghan mountain locations and its incorporation of local legend—such as the disappearance of a British regiment and references to ancient Indian Vimanas—adds a layer of historical and mythological depth. Though not widely seen, it remains a notable entry in Myrick's filmography and a curiosity for fans of military horror.
Did You Know?
- The film was co-written by Wesley Clark, Jr., son of retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark.
- The plot includes a reference to a British regiment that disappeared in Afghanistan's mountains, leaving only one survivor.
- The film's thermal imaging camera footage shows a triangular object lifting off the ground after three men walk to it.
- In the final credits, interviews with Keynes' wife indicate he is listed as missing.
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