I'm rarely one to criticize a film for lacking a meaning/purpose, but I struggle to grasp this film's aim, apart from presenting a realistic depiction of a real-life military operation. Watching a Q&A online with Garland and Mendoza gives clarity to the "how" but not the "why" behind the film's development, and, if anything, makes me yearn for a behind the scenes featurette, which I'd likely prefer to the film itself. My reaction is essentially two layers of "good job, guys, but what were we even doing here."

A glorified talent show directed by Tati and shot by Gunnar Fischer for some reason.

Typical Tati: some amusing bits, but it's not substantial enough to leave any lasting impression.

Not incisive enough to really work as satire, not funny enough to work as a dark comedy, not suspenseful enough to work as a thriller. The best thing it has going for it is the slow unraveling paranoia of the main character, and even in that, it’s fairly inconsistent. There are some really entertaining scenes, the acting is fantastic, and the writing is engaging, but it’s less than the sum of its parts, unfortunately.