Capsule Summary (minimal spoilers):

The 15:17 to Paris is the latest film from Clint Eastwood. It is a dramatization of a terrorist attack that occurred on a train that was travelling from Amsterdam to Paris. It was thwarted by the actions of three Americans, two of which were serving in the military.

This film has the rare honor of using the three people involved in the incident as actors, playing themselves. It has a reasonable plot where you get to know about them and their past. It’s a good story that’s worth seeing, but it leaves a couple questions about the event that are not addressed, but could have been. It’s entertaining, but you could probably wait for it to arrive on cable or streaming services, and not feel slighted.

Main Review:

This film has three sections. Each portion tells part of the story, and you get a good sense for who these guys are. It starts with Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos, and Spencer Stone, and how they met as children. We get a good backstory, and it tells us of these kids getting their start as troublemakers. When they become adults, Alek and Spencer join different branches of the military, and later decide to meet up while on furlough in Europe. Spencer convinces Anthony to join them. The last portion of the film is the train ride itself.

The first section of the film has a lot of supporting characters. Judy Greer and Jenna Fisher are the mothers of Spencer and Alek. You get a sense of why these kids are the way they are, as they grow to adulthood. There are several blink-and-you’ll-miss-them actors here, but it’s always good to understand who these kids are.

The second section is really more of a travelogue for going to Europe on a short timeframe. The timing slows down a bit, and you can see that these guys aren’t actors, but they do a passable job in the movie. Clint Eastwood keeps things moving, and you get a good sense of the touristy nature of their trip, but you’re really waiting for the main event.

As to the resolution, I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the end of the film. While the situation is pretty close to the truth, there’s mention that some scenes were altered for dramatic effect. As for the end, there are some questions that I had that were unanswered by the film, or were glossed over.  It felt a little incomplete, but this Wikipedia link provides the answers I was looking for.

I do recommend the film, but don’t believe you must see it in theaters.