Greetings again from the darkness. For a soldier of war, making it back home is the goal; yet it’s also only a first step. What comes home with the veteran is never simple. Many films have characterized PTSD on screen, but the debut feature from writer-director Aaron Davidman digs even deeper. Slinger (Joshua Close, “Fargo”) returns home as a wounded Special Forces veteran who nearly died (perhaps he even did briefly) and now must rediscover his own self while also finding his place in a society that presents so many challenges for him.
Slinger rents a room from Athena (Joanne Kelly, “Warehouse 13”), another veteran who understands the difficulties in re-acclimating to a society that has a complex dynamic with guns, especially amongst the young. Soldiers are sent off to fight wars to protect our way of life, and then return home to communities that respect neither them nor the dark side of violence. Slinger can’t quite seem to connect with his own son, even as he tries to reach Emmitt (Jamir Vega, “Women of the Movement”), the teenage nephew of his old service friend, Auggie (Gilbert Ouwor, EMANCIPATION, 2022). Emmitt is the stand-in for all teenagers who believe guns make them tougher as the wrangle with each day’s temptations.
While trying to help Auggie deal with the pressures of a military promotion and return to battle, a gut-punch moment occurs as the friends are chatting. The question is asked, “Do you want to go back?” The answer … “No, but yeah.” The film never preaches or lectures, yet we respect Slinger’s gun safety guidance to Emmett, as well as his ability to process the many confusion moments he confronts in his return. Slinger’s approach provides a stark contrast to the “look at me” mentality that is so pervasive these days. A final lesson that filmmaker Davidman is sure to drive home occurs when it’s explained that one dies by suicide, rather than commits suicide. It’s the difference between victim and criminal.
A terrific ‘quiet’ opening finds a young boy (we later learn is Slinger in childhood) working diligently with his father in cleaning and handling firearms. This is quite a moment when offset against the realization that strikes Slinger by the end of the film. The film is fertile ground for post-viewing discussion and debate.
A limited theatrical release on April 17, 2026 in NYC and Los Angeles will be followed by additional markets.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 