The Yellow Birds

As the narrative unfolds, it toggles between two distinct timelines: the harrowing experiences of U.S. soldier Brandon Bartle (played by) in war-torn Iraq alongside his close friend Daniel "Murph" Murphy, and Bartle's tumultuous return to his hometown in Richmond, Virginia, where the weight of Murph's uncertain fate hangs heavy. The friendship between Bartle and Murph began during grueling basic training, where they bonded over their shared Virginia roots - Murph, a middle-class kid with aspirations to attend the University of Virginia, and Bartle, a working-class individual grappling with an existential crisis.

Before shipping off to Iraq, the soldiers attended a raucous party, where Bartle met Murph's mother, Maureen, who extracted a solemn promise from him: if anything befell her son, he would personally deliver the news. This poignant moment foreshadowed the trials that lay ahead for both men.

In the unforgiving environment of Iraq, Bartle and Murphy were placed under the command of a troubled Sergeant Sterling, whose own demons would soon take their toll on the soldiers. As they navigated the treacherous landscape, Murph's psyche began to fray under the relentless onslaught of horrors. His injuries eventually led him into the care of a compassionate female medic named Jenny, with whom he developed an unrequited crush. Though he longed to connect with her, Murph lacked the courage to take the first step.

One fateful day, as Jenny arrived at her post, visibly distraught, the area was struck by a devastating bombing. Amidst the chaos, Murph stumbled upon Jenny's lifeless body and, with Bartle's help, they carefully placed her on a beam for burial.

In the present, Bartle wrestles with the debilitating effects of PTSD, his relationship with his mother Amy strained to the breaking point. After a bitter argument, he escapes into the night, aimlessly wandering through the town. His desolate journey culminates in a surreal moment when he spies a young couple embracing and becomes fixated on them, ultimately leading him down a treacherous riverbank where he nearly drowns. The couple's timely intervention prompts an emergency response from the authorities.

Meanwhile, Maureen, driven by her desperate need for answers about her son's disappearance, tracks Bartle to his home in Richmond. She is greeted warmly by Amy and invited inside. As Bartle, still reeling from his encounter with the river, is apprehended by CID officer Captain Anderson, he learns that Sterling has succumbed to his own demons, taking his secrets to the grave. The revelation sets Bartle on a perilous path of self-discovery, as he confronts the traumas that have haunted him since Murph's disappearance.

As Bartle settles into his prison cell, he makes amends with his mother by confessing the truth about his past actions. Shortly after, Maureen arrives, her eyes red from tears and her face etched with concern. She implores Bartle to reveal the events that led to her son's disappearance. Bartle's narrative takes us back to a fateful day in Iraq when Murph strayed from his unit during a sweep of an Iraqi village. Desperate to locate their missing comrade, Bartle and Sterling are guided by an elderly hermit to a minaret, where they stumble upon the lifeless body of their friend, brutally mutilated and left behind a bush. Overcome with compassion for Murph's mother, Bartle makes the difficult decision to secretly dispose of his friend's remains in a nearby river, musing that this was how Murph would have wanted to leave this world - anonymously and without fanfare. Sterling emphasizes the importance of silence, but not before he takes aim at the hermit, leaving Bartle stunned and shocked. Later, as Maureen grapples with the painful truth, she asks Bartle if there were moments when her son found happiness. Bartle's eyes soften as he recalls a festive holiday party on base where Murph longed to dance with Jenny, yet lacked the courage to ask. Fate intervenes, and Jenny takes initiative, approaching Murph and inviting him to join her in a slow, gentle dance that echoes through the desolate landscape of their troubled past. As the camera lingers on this poignant moment, the film concludes with an air of quiet contemplation, leaving the viewer to ponder the fragility of life and the fleeting nature of human connection.