Badland

A recently discharged veteran of the Iraq War (Draven) commits a shocking crime and goes on the run with his young daughter (Fulton) in this bare-bones drama set in the vast bleakness of the Great Plains. Badland deserves credit for facing up to some of the hidden consequences of a war fought under false pretenses. But too many scenes are undercut by erratic execution, and the movie’s rawness never quite translates into authenticity. Long, nihilistic and exceedingly hard to take, Badland can at least be said to have the courage of its convictions.