The film begins with Private Shane Gulliver (Matthew McNulty) of the 1st Battalion, Northdale Rifles marching to a court martial.

The film then cuts to Gulliver's arrival in Basra, Iraq with fellow soldier Mark Tate (Gerard Kearns).

While on patrol the troops are ambushed by insurgents, and the men witness the death of their CO whilst trying to rescue a Territorial Army private who is struck with shock while in a Land Rover and is incapable of taking cover.

Once there, they are told to leave the prisoners to the Royal Military Police (RMP), but due to their anger over the death of their major, they begin to beat, torture and sexually abuse them.

In the final scene of the film, we see Gulliver's trial, he pleads guilty to all charges, but rather than solely take the blame he tells the court what Gant and the other soldiers did.