Good Kill (2014) Reviews

• U.S. Chair Force

  Raven-19692014-10-12

  Drones with Hellfire missiles lurk for entire days over selected targets around the world. Those who control the drones, sitting in air conditioned shipping containers near Las Vegas, are close enough sometimes to see the expressions on the faces of people as the missiles strike. The film explores complications involved in the strikes including; how easy it is for innocents to end up among the dead, difficulties in determining when and who to hit, confused chains of command, how easy it is to make mistakes or corrupt the process, and how we might feel if we were in the shoes of our targets. Major Thomas Egan (Ethan Hawke) is a vodka guzzling former pilot who laments how the U.S. Air Force has become the "U.S. Chair Force." We follow him in the office and at home as he sinks into depression, indifference and fatigue, and he still controls the trigger that determines, somewhat shakily at times, who lives or dies. While the plot could use some additional creativity and depth, and the acting is somewhat shallow, the film explores a fascinating subject. Actual strikes, from Wikileaks, add an extra dose or realism. Seen at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.

• A deep film that is more of a thinking movie than an entertaining one

  almosalami2015-04-07

  This is a, at least in my opinion, a realistic portrayal of the inner conflict of UAV "pilot" and has very real characters with very real moral conflicts, and to me, that's a very interesting setup and my kind of movie. I don't think this'll be everyone's movie though. There's no epic awesome action sequence or extremely tense moments (there is a couple of moments that are more intense than the overall feel of the movie but not super intense). The main thing this movie has going for it is the deep gray-area type of moral conflict that the characters (not just the main character) face and it makes you think about them. Towards the end however, there is a very satisfactory feel that made you feel good and "all is just in the world" and that's a big plus for a movie like this, because a lot of these types of movie end in somewhat of an empty way. Now, as stated, because this isn't a entertainment kind of movie, there are going to be people saying that the characters were boring and monotonous, etc., but really, that's what fit the movie setup, and that's what is realistic. It's definitely not for everyone, but it was my type of film and I enjoyed it and plan to rewatch it to rethink through the moral conflicts in the movie.

• Not entertainment but education

  rogerdarlington2015-09-28

  Sometimes movie-making can be at its best when it does not simply entertain but poses challenging questions about contemporary issues. "Good Kill" asks us whether it is moral, legal and even effective to use Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (so-called drones) to eliminate assumed terrorists, even when collateral damage (that is, the deaths of non- terrorists) is likely or even certain. These are not academic questions: the use of drones to kill Islamic extremists has been extensive under the Obama administration in the United States and, just before I caught up with this film, my own government in Britain confirmed the use of drones to execute ISIS militants. We see all the action - surprisingly close up and personal thanks to the amazing military technology - through the eyes of a Las Vegas-based fighter pilot turned drone pilot Major Thomas Egan. He is played by Ethan Hawke who is known for his wordy roles in films like the "Before ..." trilogy and "Boyhood" but here is laconic, showing the pained emotions in his face and movements more than in his few words - especially to his long-suffering wife Molly (January Jones). New Zealand-born screenwriter-director Andrew Niccol ("Lord Of War") ensures that both sides of the argument are put, but there is no doubt on which side he himself sits. At the end, there is a sequence which gives the viewer some satisfaction, even a thrill, but Niccol has cleverly made us complicit in an act, the like of which we have spent most of the movie certainly questioning and possibly even condemning. "Good Kill" had limited theatrical release and success but it is a brave and honest attempt to make a political movie that raises vital issues.

• War ethics? Psychological effects of killing people through a screen? Well worth the detour...

  protilius-862-7710612015-04-08

  About 20 minutes in I started to really gravitate to the subject material. I didn't realize this was going to be a film that would capture my attention as much as it did. The main story is about the drone operators in our armed services, and his life while doing a job that requires taking lives all too frequently. Its very interesting, watching the psychological stresses of "being a fly on the wall," much less a fly with the option to light your day up. Basically, a drone operator's job consists of killing and spying on terrorists. As a part of a drone team currently operating various military and CIA operations, the main characters live in Vegas, and pretty much do this from their local office just down the road from home. So these "soldiers" don't tour like a normal soldier might. They're posted locally... And their jobs do not require travel with today's communication tech. You see, They get into their car... Drive to an undisclosed military base (close by daily commute)... Walk into a trailer loaded with state of the art communications and drone equipment... Sit down at their station... And kill people on the other side of the planet through a monitor with super HD resolution. (Military tech blows your progressive scan out of the water, just saying.) The job is far from a normal one... "You punch out... You drive home to your picture perfect neighborhood, your picture perfect family, but the images stay with you... Your actions... Stay with you." Hands down a great topic to base a film on. Really enjoying it thoroughly... By 40 minutes into this film, every news report I've seen on drones, every public debate and moral argument about the accountability in drone strikes... It all shot to the front of my thoughts as John Stewart rants suddenly came into focus. A worthy watch... Real eye opener to how easily these resources could be abused and miss used by our shadowy government structure. Leaves so many ethical boundaries scathed by the existence of this truly "hands off" way of going to war... And the kicker? We've been doing it for years. Its no wonder America is so hated... Great film. Does a wonderful job exploring the arguments from every side... And makes some great points that show how grey war and terrorism can become. At what point does "fighting terrorism" cross that line? When do the protectors of freedom become another societies terrorist? This all comes into question as the supervisors of the drone teams make it very clear to them that their mission is a "Pre-Emptive Strike" against terrorism. It touches on so many conversations that would demand too much accountability... Yet, our continued actions literally propel a cycle of violence forward by becoming the "PreEmptive" strikers. It does good making the viewer aware of the potential "other side" perspective on how American's operate. It does a better job showing the psychological effects on the drone pilots that are forced to follow questionably unethical orders... Day, after day, after day. I gotta say... Its a dialog that needs to happen. I'm really pleased someone made this film. They pulled together an excellent presentation of the issue while entertaining me with solid performances and an occasionally moving script. This is a great film for anyone who wants to learn about what our military is doing and how drone strikes work... It keeps you engaged once you're in, offers a fair amount of big moments to chew on, and ultimately weaves a great story. Dare I say, its as good as American Sniper... Just in different ways. You can tell the films are by two completely different teams. But thats not to say the stories aren't equally compelling in nature. I have to say that beyond the movie... Its awesome to see Ethan Hawke in so many interesting roles over the last couple years. Totally worth your time. Great film.

• One of the best and most realistic war movies I have seen. More like Platoon than American Sniper. I really liked this one.

  cosmo_tiger2015-07-23

  "I had information that the Taliban commander's brother would attend the funeral. So I waited until they were all there, saying their prayers... and then I blew them up too. That's my job." Thomas Egan (Hawke) is a major in the US Airforce who is trying to adjust to the modern "flying", piloting drones. He spends his days bombing and surveying damage 7000 miles away and his nights trying to reconcile what he as done. His life causes strain on his marriage and overall well being. This is a very interesting movie. It deals with something I never really thought of before, drone pilots can get PTSD too. This is not a happy movie at all, but it is a very realistic movie. Half of the movie shows how the pilots feels about piloting drones and the aftermath of their consequences. The other half is about the commanders and how they feel about the effectiveness and usefulness of them. Both sides make convincing arguments and that keeps you interested, invested and involved in the movie. Unlike some recent war movies this one does nothing to glorify the awfulness of battle and really makes you think. Overall, one of the best and most realistic war movies I have seen. More like Platoon than American Sniper. I really liked this one. I give it an A-.