In the shadowy world of drone warfare, combat unfolds like a video game–only with real lives at stake. After six tours of duty, Air Force pilot Tom Egan now fights the Taliban from an air-conditioned bunker in the Nevada desert. But as he yearns to get back in the cockpit of a real plane and becomes increasingly troubled by the collateral damage he causes each time he pushes a button, Egan’s nerves—and his relationship with his wife—begin to unravel.
Acting
Hawke's thousand-yard stare from a strip-mall base.
Direction
Niccol makes beige offices feel like hell.
Writing
Dialogue that weaponizes corporate military euphemisms.
Director
Andrew Niccol
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Real drone pilots consulted; Hawke trained on actual simulators at Creech Air Force Base.
The Las Vegas commute—killing all day, BBQs at night—mirrors actual 'commuter warriors' who suffer higher PTSD rates than deployed pilots.
US
