Though Man Down looks to address the familiar war movie themes of PTSD and the inexorable ties of brotherhood that come with armed service, Dito Montiel’s feature approaches the genre from a somewhat different angle: a war story that sees its hero return to a very unfamiliar version of America.
Man Down, which premiered at last year’s Venice Film Festival, sees the continuation of Shia LaBeouf’s recent reinvention as an intense presence in smaller, more thoughtful films. The film takes place “..in a savage post-apocalyptic America, [where] former U.S. Marine Gabriel Drummer (LaBeouf) searches desperately for the whereabouts of his son, Jonathan, and wife, Natalie, accompanied by his best friend.”
Also starring Kate Mara, Jai Courtney, and Gary Oldman, the film begins after disaster has already struck, and the America to which troops return is even less forgiving. It’s an interesting take on the post-war condition, and despite the delay in the film’s release, expect a more skewed perspective on what it is to come home after having served. While the film’s first trailer plays coy with its story, Man Down will follow this fall’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk as a more cynical approach to the scars accumulated in battle.
Man Down will be released in a limited theatrical run and on VOD on December 2nd.
