What happens to war movies when soldiers stop going to war? Andrew Niccol”s “Good Kill” is a glimpse at modern battle tactics, piloted drones taking out the Taliban from afar, as well as a hint at the task films face when examining the 21st century soldier. By nature, sitting behind a computer is far more introverted and introspective than engaging in on-the-ground military operations. As we see in the first trailer for “Good Kill,” it really is all quiet on the Western front.
In “Good Kill,” Ethan Hawke stars as Tom Egan, a fighter jet pilot relocated to a Las Vegas for drone piloting. In the mornings, Tom goes to work, logs in to his computer, blows up his required targets for the day – buildings, tanks, people. At night, he heads home to his family, lights up the grill, sits down for a cozy a meal, and heads to bed. That”s life. And it”s driving him nuts.
In his review from the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, our own Drew McWeeny praised the film for its stripped down, forceful approach in understanding the all-too-easy task of dropping bombs from a drone. “['Good Kill'] has one thing on its mind, and as a result, there's nothing especially subtle about its approach,” he writes. “It is an angry movie, and it's not interested in pulling that punch it's throwing. It also doesn't offer any answer about the questions that it raises, and how could it?”
Voltage Pictures picked up “Good Kill” after its TIFF premiere with the intention of releasing sometime in 2015. Check out the new trailer below.