Review: In 'Eye in the Sky,' drone warfare gets its close up

Playing out compellingly in real time, a strike against Somali terrorists in Nairobi is plotted by the hawkish, U.K.-based Col. Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren), whose operation involves pilots, politicians and military command in various digitally linked remote locations, from the boardroom to the toilet.

While much of the it is composed of faces in front of computer screens, some of the film's most remarkable images come from the view of a hovering drone or — most impressively — a remote-controlled beetle that flutters right into the suspects' lair, alighting on the rafters to provide a staggering close-up, whether Mr. DeMille is ready or not.

The mission is to apprehend a handful of highly ranked terrorists, but when the trio — two radicalized British nationals and an American — are seen preparing vests for a suicide attack, the plan is ratcheted up from "capture" to "kill."

An American pilot (Aaron Paul), tasked to bring "hellfire" on the target, lays off the trigger, and numerous levels of nervous government officials "refer up" the decision to their superiors while an agent on the ground (Barkhad Abdi, of "Captain Phillips") attempts to chase the girl away.