Good Kill
Having flown in multiple tours of battle in the Middle East Major Thomas Egan’s (Ethan Hawke) role in the U.S. Air Force has been transitioned to flying drone aircraft in the same region but from a control chair based in Las Vegas. Closer to home and his wife Molly (January Jones) Major Egan’s mind is still thousands of miles away at war, a strain on their relationship. Now questioning the ethics of war and his job, doing what is right for god and country will be a bigger strain than ever, how will he hold up?
Written and Directed by Andrew Niccol this relevant examination of the U.S. government’s actions and choices in wartime, drawing attention to how drastically war can change a person’s psyche, potentially spinning a moral compass in many strange directions; and, how the face of combat has changed dramatically since the deployment and use of drone warfare, reducing the understanding of wartime consequences to video game carnage, humanity lost. Strong concepts and clever cinematography to further drive the message, Niccol has come up with an interesting and important film, and while Hawke and Jones are strong characters, supporting cast and the way they are written on the other hand seem to lack depth or the richness to make the overall film amazing. Maybe a matinee or a rental, Good Kill is rated R.