Man Down

Man Down (2016) is an American military drama directed by Dito Montiel — watch it online on iFILM. Marine Gabriel Drummer, played by Shia LaBeouf, comes home from Afghanistan to find the United States has collapsed into post-apocalyptic ruin. His wife and son are missing somewhere in it. He and his combat buddy Devin, played by Jai Courtney, move through the wreckage looking for them.

The film runs on three timelines simultaneously: the search through the destroyed present, Gabriel's deployment in Afghanistan, and a psychiatric evaluation with a military counselor played by Gary Oldman, where Gabriel tries to put what happened into words. The three threads converge slowly, and what actually happened — and what exists only in Gabriel's head — becomes increasingly uncertain.

Montiel is less interested in combat footage than in what combat leaves behind in the people who survive it. LaBeouf carries the film on a performance that was largely dismissed on release but rewards closer attention — it's a committed, physically present piece of acting that fits the material better than the film's marketing suggested. Stream Man Down (2016) online on iFILM.