The Squad

The Squad is a 2011 Colombian psychological thriller film written by Tania Cardenas and Jaime Osorio Marquez and directed by Marquez in his directorial debut. The film was released in Colombia on 7 October 2011. It follows a squad of soldiers that are sent to investigate a mountain military base. After a secret military base ceases all communications, an anti-guerrilla commando unit is sent to the mountainous location to discover what exactly happened. The squad expects to discover that the base was attacked and taken over by guerrilla units, but instead find only a lone woman (Daniela Catz) wrapped in chains. Plot A team of anti-guerilla commandos led by an experienced sergeant and commanded by a green lieutenant are sent to secure the approach to a mountain base amid towering radio masts. When they are in position they are told to wait for their backup which has been delayed by enemy action en route. One of the soldiers, Arango, is impatient to get into the base and after arguing with the lieutenant, makes a dash up the stairs to the base. The radio operator, Parra, tries to stop him, but steps on a mine which shatters his leg and destroys the primary radio. The sergeant insists they must now enter the base to use the medical facilities in order to save the critically injured Parra. Inside the base the squad finds only a few bodies but bloodstains and destroyed rooms everywhere. The base radios have been destroyed, and the squad personal radios are only short range, so they cannot contact their backup. The sergeant discovers that the base supplies are untouched, indicating that this was not a guerrilla raid.