Good Kill 2015

Major Thomas Egan, portrayed by Zoë Kravitz, is an experienced officer stationed at an Air Force Base near Las Vegas, where he has settled into a seemingly serene suburban life with his wife and their two children. Once an adept F-16 Falcon pilot, he now handles the precision and responsibility of flying MQ-9 Reaper drones, conducting armed sorties in foreign territories as part of the U.S. War on Terror. His commanding officer and the support staff hold him in high regard, appreciating his calm demeanor, honed piloting skills, and flexibility—traits that have rightfully earned him a reputation as one of the squadron’s most dependable and efficient pilots.

At first glance, Egan’s new role appears to be a low-pressure position. He is responsible for targeting unequivocal terrorist cells, vehicles, and facilities in Afghanistan during daylight hours, enabling him to achieve a satisfying work-life balance. His daily routine includes cherished family moments, while he spends his nights either sleeping or relishing quiet off-duty moments. However, as the frequency of his missions escalates—targeting enemies almost each day—Egan starts to experience the mounting strain of constant pressure. His wife, played by January Jones, begins to notice his changes, and he responds to the stress by turning to alcohol.

Despite the growing tension, Egan’s operational performance remains exemplary, leading to commendable ratings among his peers. Consequently, his commanding officer assigns him to more demanding missions, working closely with CIA controllers. These operations now extend beyond Afghanistan, reaching dangerous terrains like Yemen and Somalia—areas without a declared U.S. military presence. The moral ambiguity deepens as Egan receives orders that blur the lines: groups labeled as “terrorist cells” and public infrastructures described as “hiding places” for top terrorists, or factories associated with explosives manufacturing begin to surface as targets. Unfortunately, collateral damage becomes an all-too-common outcome. The order to strike civilian targets—women and children included—on several occasions is defended by the CIA on the grounds of them being used as human shields by terrorists.

As Egan grapples with these overwhelming circumstances, his reality begins to unravel, reflecting the catastrophic outcome of his growing addiction. Moments of near-disaster, including a tense experience with law enforcement for drunk driving, starkly illustrate the precariousness of his situation. Concerned about the impact of his actions on his family, he starts to isolate himself from home, frequently postponing commitments to shield his wife from the grave burden of his stress.

Ultimately, his attempts to evade the encroaching darkness lead him into a series of overwatch missions that deepen his inner conflict. A brief moment of calm gives way to heartbreak when he fails to protect U.S. troops from an improvised explosive device. The emotional toll of these harrowing events culminates in a furious outburst at home, pushing his wife to confront him about his job, which inevitably results in her departure.

In the wake of this personal catastrophe, Egan’s CIA controller callously instructs him to strike a group of civilians who are responding to an explosion resulting from one of his prior strikes. Choosing to reject this ethically reprehensible order, Egan ingeniously manipulates the UAV control system to allow them to escape harm, which costs him his role in attack missions, relegating him to surveillance tasks instead.

As he maneuvers through this new phase of his life, Egan becomes increasingly obsessed with a man who previously committed unspeakable acts against a woman. Seeing a chance for redemption, he devises a plan to send his support staff on a break and takes matters into his own hands using the surveillance UAV to eliminate the rapist. Fueled by this act of retribution, Egan abandons his established protocols and drives away from Las Vegas, with an unknown destination ahead but a revitalized sense of purpose igniting his journey.