Nostalgia Kinky

Badland (2007) is one of the most depressing films I’ve ever seen. Keep in mind, I say this as a guy who watches A LOT of uber-depressing films. Coming soon on Blu-ray from Ruby Max Entertainment through MVD, this tale of a PTSD-stricken American soldier home from the war in Iraq left me gobsmacked by its uncompromising brutality. Badland isn’t an overly violent or gory film, but it remains one of the painful films I’ve seen in recent memory.

Badland is the singular vision of writer/director Francesco Lucente. Running nearly three hours long, Badland is an incredibly ambitious film for Lucente and an extremely earnest one. If the shattering loss and pain at the heart of the film ultimately became too much for me, I appreciate how obviously genuine Lucente is. This is a filmmaker who believes in his project, and there is never a moment of any obvious compromise.

Badland is a tour de force for actor Jamie Draven, who gives an overwhelmingly tortured performance as the vet who loses everything, including himself. Just as good as Draven is child actor Grace Caroline Currey, who gives an amazingly nuanced and intelligent performance for a child of just ten. The rest of the ensemble is also strong, with special mention going to one of my personal favorites, Vinessa Shaw, who plays Draven’s wife and Currey’s mom to devastating effect.

Not everything about Badland works for me. While I appreciate Lucente’s dedication to his vision, the film’s run-time and methodical pacing make it an even harder watch than its tough narrative. Also, while I appreciate Ludek Drizhal’s very emotional orchestral score, it is a bit too melodramatic for my taste and, ironically, removes some of the film’s emotion while needlessly trying to heighten it.

Nearly twenty years old, the low-budget Badland is very much worthy of rediscovery, as it all but vanished from view after a very limited theatrical release, receiving mixed to glowing reviews. MVD offers a nice restoration from the film’s original negative, along with a plethora of extras. These include a director’s commentary, interviews, documentaries, deleted scenes, and Grace Caroline Currey’s original heartbreaking video audition. This is a very strong release of a highly charged film about the horrifying psychological effects of war. To say this is a necessary and timely watch is putting it mildly.

-Jeremy Richey, May 2026-