WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
Writer/director Andrew Niccol (“In Time“, “The Host“) delivers this intense, dramatic effort that clearly and profoundly illustrates the mental toll taken on the airmen who pilot the UVA drones in the Middle East as the U.S. wages war on terror. Based on actual events, the 2010-set story centers on Las Vegas-based fighter pilot Major Thomas Egan (Ethan Hawke) whose F-16 days are over and has now taken up post as a new kind of pilot–for drone strikes utilizing a joystick, computer screens, and buttons. Each 12-hour day, he is at work under the watchful eye of his commanding officer Lt. Colonel Jack Johns (Bruce Greenwood), seeking out the coordinates given to him by the higher ups and then, when permission is confirmed, executes the orders to destroy or “prosecute” the target, ideally labeling it a “good kill”, watching it all unfold while weighing on his conscious. Missing the thrill of actual flying, Egan retreats into himself more and more, turning to the job and alcohol to cover the conflict he feels, which also isolates him at home from his wife, Molly (January Jones), and their kids. When a new co-pilot/laser guidance recruit, Vera Suarez (Zoe Kravitz), joins Egan’s shift, she is given harsh lessons in the reality of what they observe on screen, even when not engaging in a strike. Soon, a new set of orders involving CIA-led kills has Egan on the edge of sanity, and as the body count rises, everything about what they’re doing comes into question.
A raw, taut, and thought-provoking film, the brutal and mind-numbing facets of drone pilots is brought to bear with Niccol’s deft directing style and potent writing. Hawke turns in arguably one of the best overall performances of his career, giving such a weight to Egan’s character in showcasing one man’s inner struggle, fraught with outward, slowly unhinging displays of emotion, in doing the unthinkable without hesitation until it finally, and truly, burdens him too deeply to just “function” anymore. A perfect supporting cast, including the always solid Greenwood in full-on “man of authority” mode, Kravitz emoting as an equally duty bound but conscious-conflicted airman, Jones as a realistically long-suffering spouse, and Jake Abel as the cold voice of reason in the “war room”, simply adds further depth to the proceedings. The video footage utilized for the strikes is both awe-inspiring and extremely disturbing in that it paints a visceral image of the sheer, Hellfire missile-induced carnage that a single click of a joystick trigger brings on the unsuspecting targets. And the concept of collateral damage being a distinct possibility in these strikes is given a fair shake and can make one question the validity of always following directives without contemplation to real consideration of consequence. The final moments of the movie put an exclamation mark on everything that has transpired up to that point, and it leaves the viewer both feeling a sense of shock, but also a sense of justice, making “Good Kill” a compelling film to see.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
