13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
An American Ambassador is killed during an attack at a U.S. compound in Libya as a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos.
Working with a respectable budget of $50.0M, the film achieved a modest success with $69.4M in global revenue (+39% profit margin).
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 5 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016) exhibits carefully calibrated dramatic framework, characteristic of Michael Bay's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 14-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 24 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Jack Silva
Tyrone "Rone" Woods
Kris "Tanto" Paronto
Glen "Bub" Doherty
Mark "Oz" Geist
John "Tig" Tiegen
Bob
Main Cast & Characters
Jack Silva
Played by John Krasinski
Former Navy SEAL and security contractor who leads the defense of the Benghazi compound. Practical, experienced, and dedicated to protecting his team.
Tyrone "Rone" Woods
Played by James Badge Dale
Senior security team leader and Jack's mentor figure. Experienced operator who trains the team and provides tactical wisdom throughout the crisis.
Kris "Tanto" Paronto
Played by Pablo Schreiber
Security contractor and former Army Ranger. Outspoken, aggressive fighter who pushes to act immediately when the attack begins.
Glen "Bub" Doherty
Played by Toby Stephens
Former Navy SEAL who arrives as reinforcement from Tripoli. Loyal friend to Rone and committed to rescuing the team despite danger.
Mark "Oz" Geist
Played by Max Martini
Former Marine and security contractor. Tough, resilient operator who fights despite severe injuries during the battle.
John "Tig" Tiegen
Played by Dominic Fumusa
Former Marine and security contractor. Family man who maintains morale and displays unwavering courage under fire.
Bob
Played by David Costabile
CIA Chief of Station who repeatedly orders the security team to stand down. Prioritizes intelligence mission over immediate rescue.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Jack Silva arrives in chaotic Benghazi, Libya on September 10, 2012, greeted by his old friend Rone. The dangerous, lawless city establishes the volatile world these contractors operate in.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 17 minutes when The team learns that Ambassador Chris Stevens has arrived at the under-protected diplomatic compound a mile away. The presence of a high-value target in an indefensible location raises the stakes.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 36 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to The diplomatic compound comes under coordinated attack at 9:42 PM. The GRS team demands permission to respond, but Chief Bob orders them to "stand down." After a critical delay, they defy orders and choose to leave the Annex to mount a rescue., moving from reaction to action.
At 73 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat The team returns to the Annex having saved five State Department personnel, but Ambassador Stevens is missing and presumed dead. The false victory of a successful extraction is undercut by the failure of their primary mission and the realization that they are now targets., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 109 minutes (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Precision mortar fire strikes the Annex roof. Rone and Boon are killed instantly. The whiff of death is literal—two of the team's best are gone, and the survivors face overwhelming odds with no support in sight., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 116 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. The survivors fight their way to the airport with their dead. They load the bodies of Rone, Boon, Ambassador Stevens, and Sean Smith onto the plane. The mission ends not in victory but in survival and the fulfillment of their code: leave no one behind., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 14 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi against these established plot points, we can identify how Michael Bay utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi within the war genre.
Michael Bay's Structural Approach
Among the 8 Michael Bay films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.8, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Michael Bay filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional war films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Fury and Sarah's Key. For more Michael Bay analyses, see The Rock, The Island and Ambulance.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Jack Silva arrives in chaotic Benghazi, Libya on September 10, 2012, greeted by his old friend Rone. The dangerous, lawless city establishes the volatile world these contractors operate in.
Theme
Rone tells Jack, "You don't think you're going to get out of here alive, do you?" The theme of sacrifice and duty versus self-preservation is established early.
Worldbuilding
The GRS team is introduced at the Annex compound. We meet the six operators—Jack, Rone, Boon, Tanto, Oz, and Tig—and see their daily routines protecting CIA personnel in a city filled with militias. The tenuous security situation and bureaucratic friction with Chief Bob are established.
Disruption
The team learns that Ambassador Chris Stevens has arrived at the under-protected diplomatic compound a mile away. The presence of a high-value target in an indefensible location raises the stakes.
Resistance
The GRS team assesses threats, conducts patrols, and debates the deteriorating security environment. Jack grapples with being away from his family. Tensions with the CIA Chief grow as he restricts their defensive preparations. September 11th arrives with ominous signs.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The diplomatic compound comes under coordinated attack at 9:42 PM. The GRS team demands permission to respond, but Chief Bob orders them to "stand down." After a critical delay, they defy orders and choose to leave the Annex to mount a rescue.
Mirror World
As the team races through hostile streets to the compound, their brotherhood and commitment to each other becomes clear. This relationship—brothers in arms—carries the film's thematic weight about duty and sacrifice.
Premise
The promise of the premise: elite soldiers in urban combat. The team fights through the burning compound, rescues survivors, and desperately searches for Ambassador Stevens in smoke-filled buildings. They execute tactical maneuvers, engage multiple hostiles, and extract personnel under fire.
Midpoint
The team returns to the Annex having saved five State Department personnel, but Ambassador Stevens is missing and presumed dead. The false victory of a successful extraction is undercut by the failure of their primary mission and the realization that they are now targets.
Opposition
The Annex itself comes under siege. Waves of attackers probe defenses through the night. Mortar fire begins. The operators are exhausted, ammunition runs low, and promised reinforcements don't arrive. The Chief's decisions continue to hamper their defense.
Collapse
Precision mortar fire strikes the Annex roof. Rone and Boon are killed instantly. The whiff of death is literal—two of the team's best are gone, and the survivors face overwhelming odds with no support in sight.
Crisis
The team processes the devastating losses. Jack holds the dying Rone. The survivors maintain their positions in shock and grief, knowing they may not survive the night. The emotional toll of their brothers' sacrifice weighs heavily.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The survivors fight their way to the airport with their dead. They load the bodies of Rone, Boon, Ambassador Stevens, and Sean Smith onto the plane. The mission ends not in victory but in survival and the fulfillment of their code: leave no one behind.
Transformation
Jack returns home to his family, embracing his wife and children. The closing image mirrors the opening but shows transformation—he is alive but forever marked by the cost of duty and the brothers he lost.