Jerry (Jamie Draven) is a Marine reservist who was a young patriot and idealist when he served in the first Gulf War. But when he is called up for deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq, Jerry is a father of three; older and embittered by a life besieged by broken promises, and unfulfilled desires.

Jerry returns a changed man, transformed by horrors committed that go beyond comprehension and sanity, pain inflicted that cannot be forgiven. He lives a life of poverty, his children afraid of his unexplained outbursts of rage, his wife, Nora (Vinessa Shaw), unsympathetic to the nosebleeds and night terrors he suffers. She hides money her sons earn from their paper route in case they need to leave. Their crowded trailer home becomes a prison. His failure as a man, his actions as a soldier, is the punishment which they share. He realizes that the respect and dignity he has spent his life trying to achieve will always elude him.

When Jerry discovers that Nora has betrayed him, his anger and despair drive him to commit an act so heinous and irreversible that nothing he has experienced in combat could have prepared him for.

“Badland” is a gut-wrenching, poignant look at the aftermath of war on a returning Iraq war veteran and his family. It is the story of a man who loses his soul and how a daughter’s love and faith brings redemption to his unspeakable crimes.

“Strikes like a bolt of lightning out of nowhere … deeply personal and completely compelling. Writer-director Francesco Lucente pulls no punches … The portrayals of Jamie Draven and 9-year-old Grace Fulton can stand alongside the year’s best.”

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

“A War Hero’s Terror, Tragedy and Rescue”

Matt Zoller Seitz, New York Times

“‘Badland’ succeeds where rest of bandwagon has failed”

Justin Spees, NYU News

“‘Badland’ gives a glimpse into the life after the war”

Melissa Mills, CSUN Daily Sundial

“War Ravages the Soul”

Megha Pakhiddey, The Knight News

“The most intense I’ve seen since FULL METAL JACKET”

Hits Magazine via Taxi Transmitter

“‘Badland’ is like a post 9/11 Best Years Of Our Lives.”

Eric Monder, Film Journal International

“It is a strong, absorbing, impressive, involving work … Grace Fulton is a marvel as Celina.”

William Wolf, WolfEntertainmentGuide.com

“Badland is a haunting film about the tragic repercussions of the Iraq War. Strong performances and eloquent cinematography enhance the story.”

Stephen Farber, Hollywood Life

“An engrossing film… UK Actor Jamie Draven evokes memories of the classic performance of Robert Mitchum in “Night of the Hunter.” Grace Fulton is marvelous.”

Stuart Lee, WNYX-TV

Bruce Springsteen’s song “DEVILS & DUST” poetically resonates with “JERRY’S” heart wrenching journey in Badland.

Badland was inspired by America’s headlong plunge into the Iraq war. In the weeks and months that followed, it was painfully evident that this was going to be very different from the Gulf War. As soon as troops started coming home, stories began emerging of isolated incidents of domestic violence. The first cluster of murders and murder-suicides happened at Fort Bragg, N.C. and there was speculation that those involved were suffering with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).