I am a hard marker when it comes to military-related films. As a combat veteran myself, I can vouch for this one. Those who find it "unconvincing" are just naive to the reality of coming "home" after desperately hoping & fighting to get back, only to find no home left. To find that the sacrifice did not lead to more prosperous opportunities, that people don't understand you, and that even though it feels like everything has been taken from you, somehow you still miss the experience that made you feel so alive and on the edge. You miss your brothers. It's an incredibly difficult thing to transition back into society after surviving with a group of people holding so close to the heart this notion of your home, wherever that is, and making it back to realize it doesn't exist anymore. You aren't the same and you never will be. It's like a whole new, more f'ed up phase of mental hardships that blindsided you. And I could write a book.
There's the reality of this emotion and then there's the attempt to express it. So I want to give this movie real props for getting it close enough to keep my attention. In fact, I totally fell into it and related to many scenes. I reflected about myself and how I am towards others at times. I reflected about how much I've gone on these respites alone in nature, just walking and wanting to be alone. So I don't think I spoiled anything in this review that isn't suggested in a preview. I just needed to write a review for the first time ever because I feel like this film deserves credit. And Bryan Kaplan did a fantastic job. That is all.
