Saban Films has releasedThe Yellow Birdstrailer. Directed byAlexandre Moors, the film follows young soldier Brandon Bartle (Alden Ehrenreich) who must wrestle with a coverup involving the death of his friend and fellow soldier Daniel Murphy (Tye Sheridan) when they were fighting over in Iraq.
I caught the film at Sundance back in 2017, and thought it was okay, but didn’t really build upon its premise despite the strong performances. Here’s an excerpt fromAdam Chitwood’s review:
Visually, Moors crafts some really stunning shots with the film, and hits upon a dour, immersive aesthetic that sells the impact of the war. But the movie begins to suffer narratively in its second half, where the mystery haunts every scene. It’s drawn out for quite a lengthy period of time, and as the tension of what exactly happened grows, so does the expectation that the revelation will be worth all this waiting. When the revelation does come, it doesn’t land near as hard as it should for all that build-up, and it poses some practicality questions that detract from the emotional impact. The filmisemotionally truthful for most of its runtime, and the performances go a long way towards telegraphing the emotional and psychological impact of something as hellish as being in a firefight, but as the narrative becomes tedious, what should be an emotional gutpunch of a conclusion ends up falling flat.
Check outThe Yellow Birdstrailer below, andclick herefor Steve Weintraub’s interview from Sundance. The film also starsJennifer Aniston, Toni Collette, Jason Patric, andJack Huston.The Yellow Birdswill be released exclusively on DIRECTV May 17th – June 13th and in theaters and On Demand on June 15th.
Here’s the official synopsis forThe Yellow Birds:
Against the explosive backdrop of the Iraq War, young soldiers Brandon Bartle (Alden Ehrenreich) and Daniel Murphy (Tye Sheridan) forge a deep bond of friendship. When tragedy strikes the platoon, one soldier must return home to face the hard truth behind the incident, and help a grieving mother (Jennifer Aniston) find peace. With a compelling mix of battle action and poignant drama, The Yellow Birds is an unforgettable movie whose power resonates long after the final frame.
