The Men Who Stare at Goats
2009 · Directed by Grant Heslov
Original language: English
- comedy
- war
The story
A reporter in Iraq might just have the story of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady, a guy who claims to be a former member of the U.S. Army's New Earth Army, a unit that employs paranormal powers in their missions.
What it’s like
Bright, sun-bleached desert daylight gives way to fluorescent government corridors and the flat, bureaucratic greys of Washington, with the camera mostly settling into tidy medium shots and two-shots that let the absurd deadpan of the actors carry the frame. Flashbacks to a 1980s Army program arrive in washed-out, hazy colour, sprinkled with wide-eyed hippie iconography: long hair, tie-dye, incense and a soft haze of drug-tinged nostalgia. The soundtrack leans on jangly period rock and playful, wandering incidental cues that keep the mood buoyant even when the story turns strange. The overall vibe is loose, goofy and faintly paranoid, a satirical comedy with a dry, wry edge rather than a slapstick one. Pacing is brisk and episodic, with running gags building into a slightly chaotic, freewheeling rhythm. The emotional register stays light; the central arc follows a sceptical, bruised reporter slowly warming to an earnest eccentric, and the stakes stay comic. Violence is present but mostly off-screen or cartoonishly brief, with a few sharp, startling moments and some mild profanity and drug references. It suits a lazy afternoon, a comfort rewatch, or a night with friends, and it is for viewers who enjoy quirky, character-driven satire about military absurdity and counterculture oddballs.
More films like The Men Who Stare at Goats
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved The Men Who Stare at Goatsand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
