Badland (2007)

17% of critics liked it
(18 reviews)
54% of users liked it
(263 ratings)

A veteran of the first Gulf War who later went on to serve in Afghanistan and Iraq discovers that returning to civilian life after the trauma he endured is but an empty dream in director Francesco Lucente's harrowing drama. Years ago, when he served in the first Gulf War, Jerry (Jamie Draven) was a… More A veteran of the first Gulf War who later went on to serve in Afghanistan and Iraq discovers that returning to civilian life after the trauma he endured is but an empty dream in director Francesco Lucente's harrowing drama. Years ago, when he served in the first Gulf War, Jerry (Jamie Draven) was a patriotic Marine reservist driven by a desire to protect his fellow countrymen. Later, despite being embittered by the broken promises of the military and still not having received the respect that he so badly craved, the civically minded father of three is redeployed to Afghanistan and Iraq only to be irreversibly damaged by the horrors of war. Now Jerry has returned home to his wife and family, struggling beneath the poverty line in a cramped trailer and devastated by night terrors. Jerry's wife, Nora, is unsympathetic to her husband's plight, and soon begins stashing their children's newspaper-route earnings in order to fund an escape. When Jerry discovers that Nora has betrayed him, the atrocity that he commits proves so shocking that even the most seasoned war veterans will recoil in horror. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 2 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Francesco Lucente
Written By: Francesco Lucente
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Nov 30, 2007 Limited
On DVD: Feb 24, 2009
Studio: Arcangelo Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Matt Zoller Seitz, New York Times
The mawkish yet weirdly mesmerizing film Badland is independent in scale but aggressively Hollywood in storytelling.
Kyle Smith, New York Post
The year's dullest movie has arrived: the deeply silly Badland, which is as dead as winter and twice as long.
Jack Mathews, New York Daily News
Possibly the worst idea for a movie this century.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Expertly constructed and beautifully photographed, Badland easily sustains its 160-minute running time, and the portrayals of Draven, a British actor, and 9-year-old Fulton can stand alongside the year's best.
Robert Koehler, Variety
The raw material would seem to be in place for a strong, moving contemporary tragedy, but scene after endless scene fails to come to life.
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter
When the picture gets around to its calculated socko ending, the viewer has long been pummeled into a state of numbness.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
An unrelentingly bleak and depressing drama about an Iraqi war veteran who is unable to deal with his rage.
Ron Wilkinson, Monsters and Critics
Exploiting what it is supposed to renounce, Badland combines a dreadfully long and dull screenplay and extremely plain surroundings to make a well-meaning anti-war film you'll want to miss.
Ross Anthony, Hollywood Report Card
Some good performances. But, the overall disturbing atmosphere of the film is more than I prefer. That said, I appreciate the effort to raise awareness of PTSD.
Eric Monder, Film Journal International
Badland takes a step in the right direction by attempting to understand the aftermath of war.
Rob Humanick, Slant Magazine
Until the mess in the Middle East has found its way to a resolution, we can continue to expect films like Badland as part of the collateral damage in the War on Terror.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Clocking in at just under three hours, writer-director Francesco Lucente's earnest attempt at making an Iraq War-era Coming Home says many things at once without much perspective or clarity.
Jay Antani, Boxoffice Magazine
Offensive to all and on every level, Badland tops the landfill of this year's worst.
Kam Williams, NewsBlaze
At least half the celluloid should have hit the editing room floor, since this one-trick road flick revolves around Jerry's constantly contemplating suicide and belatedly bonding with his daughter while eluding the authorities.