'Atonement' Review: A War Drama Exploring Survivor Anguish and Combat Guilt in Iraq
By
Owen Gleiberman
2d ago· 5 min readenReview
80/100
Golden Brown
Bagelometer↗
Crackling crust, pillowy middle. The kind of bagel that earns a second cup of coffee.
Score80TypereviewSentimentneutral
Summary
A review of the war drama "Atonement" starring Boyd Holbrook and Hiam Abbass, set during the 2003 Iraq War. The film follows an Iraqi family (the Khachaturians) caught in the chaos of combat violence in Baghdad, exploring themes of survivor anguish and combat guilt through the fog of war.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledEarly on in 'Atonement,' there's a battle so mired in the helter-skelter chaos of combat violence that it puts us right in the fog of war.
The family members jump into cars and head across town, to where they think it will be safe.
There's no reason to think otherwise; there are lots of Iraqis out on the street, going about
Boyd Holbrook and Hiam Abbass star in an affecting drama of survivor anguish and combat guilt.
