Writer: Andrew Niccol (Screenplay)
Starring: Ethan Hawke, January Jones, Zoe Kravitz, Bruce Greenwood, Jake Abel
Plot: A family man begins to question the ethics of his job as a drone pilot.
Tagline – If you never face your enemy, how can you face yourself.
Runtime: 1 Hour 42 Minutes
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Smart Look at the Side Effects of Modern War
Story: Good Kill starts as we meet our unit, Major Thomas Egan (Hawke) who leads the younger unit, Zimmer (Abel) Christie (Kenin) and new team member Airman Vera Suarez (Kravitz) who are drone pilot watching over Afghanistan taking out persons of interest that would be threats to America.
Thomas wanting to return to active duty must work with Colonel Jack Johns (Greenwood) with this plan, but when the CIA want to conduct operations with the unit, the whole unit must face difficult decision when follow orders.
Thoughts on Good Kill
Characters – Major Thomas Egan is a former active duty soldier, he served his time and now he works on drone unit, killing the enemy from a computer screen back in Vegas, he wants to return to active duty and soon his latest missions involve morally questionable decisions which only leaves him questioning his own role in the war and his personal life. Molly is Thomas’s wife, she like having her husband close to home and is finding her husband feeling distant from her. Airman Suarez is the newest member to the unit, she questions nearly every decision they must make, not sure whether they are doing the right thing at all.
Performances – Ethan Hawke is great in this leading role, he makes his character feel distant which helps us understand his mindset where things are not going the way he feels comfortable with. January Jones is fine in her role without being a complex with her performance. Zoe Kravitz continues to show she is coming along to become a major name in the acting world.
Story – The story follows the life of a drone pilot who used to serve in active combat, we see how he wants to get back into this because he doesn’t enjoy having to do the kills from a distance. This shows us a new type of PTSD which soldiers will be facing when having to kill from their own land, it also shows how the soldiers will not open up about the horrors they are seeing and being involved in.
War/Thriller – The war elements of this film shows us how the war can be fought from behind closed doors rather than the battlefield, it shows the effects of this too.
Settings – The film is set in and around Vegas, showing the war is now being fought from the air being controlled back home.
Scene of the Movie – Thomas final actions with the drone.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – While we see how Thomas is affected, I feel we had just as much time to focus on Suarez coming into this world.
Final Thoughts – This is a good look at the modern warfare, it shows how difficult the battle has become, but the effects will still haunt the people.
Overall: Good thriller on modern war.
Rating