“Thank You For Your Service” is an enlightening and enjoyable film despite the lack of action and weak storytelling

By Blake Laurita

Staff Writer

“Thank You For Your Service,” is an illuminating take on life after the Iraq war which shows viewers the often overlooked psychological damage soldiers suffer from when they return home.

“Thank You For Your Service” is driven by a heartfelt message, enhanced by the expertly shot cinematography and features a strong cast led by actor, Miles Teller. However, the film does suffer from a lack of action and poor storytelling.

Jason Hall directed the war film, starring Miles Teller, Beulah Koale, Haley Bennett and Amy Schumer. The film is about the post-traumatic stress disorders that soldiers endure after returning home.

“Thank You For Your Service” is based on the nonfiction book by David Finkel which shares the same name as the movie. The book captured the atte ntion of the movie industry and ended up being produced by Universal Pictures.

The talented cast led by actor, Miles Teller, adds an immeasurable amount of value to the film. Supporting actor, Beulah Koale delivers a brilliant performance, engrossing the audience with his believable acting.

The style of cinematography utilized in “Thank You for Your Service” is rarely found in films today. The team employed a plethora of unconventional shooting angles such as its intimate close-up shots.

The driving force behind the film is it’s seldom talked about message of the hardships that soldiers face when they come home from the military to which it successfully brings awareness. It bravely exposes the hypocritical bureaucracy that fails to take care of those who protect this country.

One of the film’s downfalls is the lack of action in a movie advertised as a war drama. The omission of combat scenes ultimately bores the audience, but only affects the beginning of the film as the action picks up towards the middle.

The second and final fault of an otherwise outstanding film is the abysmal storytelling throughout the plot. The main plot, at times, begins to feel blurred as poorly developed subplots convolute the main storyline. These tangents are uninteresting and take the spotlight away from the more talented actors and the superior main plot.   

Overall, “Thank You For Your Service” is an enlightening and enjoyable film despite the lack of action and weak storytelling, as the passionate acting, masterful cinematography and essential message compensate for the film’s few faults.

“Thank You For Your Service” is available for viewing in theaters nationwide.