Hornet’s Nest

In 1944, the SS overrun the Northern Italian village of Reanoto, slaughtering the population suspected of aiding the resistance. Aldo and a group of boys aged 7 to 14 survive the carnage and vow revenge. The massacre sets the tone for the coming vigilante conflict and cements the boys' resolve.

A detachment of US Army paratroopers lands with a mission to destroy a strategic dam to aid the Fifth Army. German forces led by Hauptmann von Hecht seize the drop zone and kill all the paratroopers except their leader Captain Turner, who lands unconscious and hidden among tree branches. The Germans seize the demolition gear, forcing Turner to improvise later with the boys.

Aldo and his friends rescue Captain Turner from capture and hide him from the pursuing Germans. Turner is badly injured and relies on the boys for safety and concealment. The unlikely alliance forms as Turner begins to view the group as a means to exact revenge.

Realizing Turner needs medical care, the boys abduct German doctor Bianca Freedling and hold her captive. Bianca becomes a reluctant ally and captive asset as Turner starts shaping the Dead End Kids into a functional unit. Her mistreatment underscores the brutal nature of the mission.

Turner pushes Aldo and the other boys to learn weapons and tactics, effectively turning them into his improvised unit. He has them steal gear from von Hecht’s headquarters and trains them to operate MP 40 submachine guns. Aldo secretly guards the detonators for the day of their planned revenge.

Turner and the doctor head toward the dam, where Bianca's captivity complicates the mission. In a tense moment, Bianca attacks Turner with a knife and he drags her into cover and subdues her to prevent further danger. The group presses on toward their dangerous objective.

Standartenführer Jannings is dispatched to pursue Turner and the Dead End Kids, while von Hecht is placed under Taussig’s command and Wehrmacht troops are reassigned to guard a tunnel. The moving pieces foreshadow a major clash at the dam. Tension builds as German forces tighten their grip on the operation.

Turner and the boys hijack a truck and launch a surprise assault on the SS headquarters, slaughtering Taussig’s men. The strike demonstrates the group’s lethal capability and marks a turning point in the mission. The SS retaliation looms as a major threat to their plans.

For most of the boys, killing the SS proves enough, but Aldo grows emotionally unstable and hungers for more. His appetite for vengeance threatens discipline within the group. The internal conflict adds a troubling layer to the pursuit of revenge.

Von Hecht shoots Taussig in a dispute and then directs his pursuit of Turner and the boys. The countdown to the dam sabotage intensifies as German leadership responds with urgency. The encounter heightens the risk to the mission and to the children involved.

Turner and several boys plant explosives on the dam while Aldo and a few others disobey orders and engage guards atop the dam, nearly jeopardizing the mission. The crew must balance reckless bravado with discipline to complete the plan. The safety of Bianca and the younger children remains at stake as charges go into place.

The charges detonate, destroying the dam and flooding the valley. American troops begin to move in as German forces retreat. The destruction represents a decisive defeat for the Germans in the area and a brutal victory for the Dead End Kids.

Turner learns that Carlo has died and another boy died protecting Bianca and younger children. He confronts the moral cost of involving the children in the mission. The emotional toll underscores the human price of revenge.

Aldo confronts von Hecht, who survives the dam attack. Turner intervenes but cannot deter the boy, and he ultimately takes the gun away and captures von Hecht. The moment ends with a quiet respect for Turner’s leadership.

Turner, Bianca, von Hecht, and the surviving boys (except Aldo) walk toward the approaching American column. Aldo lingers behind until Turner returns for him. The boy initially resists but finally seeks forgiveness as Turner carries him to the truck, signaling a fragile but hopeful end to a brutal ordeal.