Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- bleak
- paranoid
- harrowing
- serious drama night
- war film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film well-intentioned but muddled, arguing that its ambitious blend of war drama, science fiction, and psychological mystery undermines its emotional treatment of combat trauma.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Gabriel's return from Afghanistan is presented through a home environment that feels as hostile and ruined as the battlefield.
Dreams, delusions, illusion, and alternative reality keywords accompany Gabriel's search and the film's genre shifts.
The central premise follows a U.S. Marine returning from Afghanistan and confronting alienation from his family and home.
Gabriel and Devin search for Natalie and Gabriel's estranged son while intercepting a man carrying information about the family.
Films like Man Down, and why
The Machinist
post-traumatic war drama filtered through psychological disorientation and fractured reality
The Jacket
soldier trauma, unreliable perception, and science fiction mystery intertwined with family stakes
The Road
bleak post-apocalyptic atmosphere and a desperate search through devastated spaces
Jacob's Ladder
emotionally distressed protagonist navigating an unstable reality shaped by war and guilt
Movie Details
- Director
- Dito Montiel
- Release Date
- 2016-12-02
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (289)
Cast
- Shia LaBeouf
- Jai Courtney
- Gary Oldman
- Kate Mara
- Tory Kittles
- Clifton Collins Jr.
- Charlie Shotwell
- Jose Pablo Cantillo
- Justin Smith
- Paul Sado
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- History Vault, Cinemax Amazon Channel, Cinemax Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Man Down about?
- A traumatized Marine's desperate search for his missing family becomes a bleak, reality-bending reckoning with the aftershocks of war.
- What is Man Down like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Man Down as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Man Down violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Man Down as brutal.
- What did critics think of Man Down?
- Critics broadly found the film well-intentioned but muddled, arguing that its ambitious blend of war drama, science fiction, and psychological mystery undermines its emotional treatment of combat trauma.
- Which films are like Man Down?
- Films with a similar feel include The Machinist, The Jacket, The Road, and Jacob's Ladder.
- How long is Man Down?
- Man Down runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch Man Down?
- In United States, Man Down streams on History Vault, Cinemax Amazon Channel, Cinemax Apple TV channel.
