Tin Soldier

The most intriguing character in Tin Soldier is a deranged ex-military cult leader who has lured disillusioned veterans into a potential domestic terrorism scheme.

Unfortunately, this choppy and incoherent thriller from director Brad Furman (The Lincoln Lawyer) shoves him into the background in favor of focusing on a brooding former soldier afflicted with PTSD who has much less interesting hair.

At any rate, squandering a very capable cast, the film struggles to translate all of its paranoid conspiracies into consistent suspense.

When we first see Nash (Scott Eastwood), he’s homeless and disheveled, overcome by psychological war wounds and grief from the tragic loss of his wife (Nora Arnezeder).

It turns out her death stemmed in part from Nash’s involvement in The Program, launched by a former officer (Jamie Foxx) so veterans could receive treatment and assimilate back into society. But he’s since become known as The Bokushi, corrupted by power and using his loose-cannon charisma to recruit followers as warriors for his dangerous schemes.

As authorities close in, Nash is recruited by a mysterious government agent (Robert De Niro) for a secret mission to infiltrate and destroy The Bokushi. Nash has incentive for leading the charge, even if he’s forced to confront an unpleasant past.

The provocative premise feels timely and relevant, and there seems to be a well-intentioned examination of mental illness among our troops buried beneath the far-fetched contrivances. Still, the nonlinear screenplay combines ideas and themes we’ve seen before without yielding any meaningful depth or insight — or generating much incentive for emotional investment.

Nash is saddled with rambling, monotonous narration meant to be profound. Foxx’s character is defined more by eccentricities and violent tendencies than genuine motives. And the periphery characters pop in and out of the action without much development.

In particular, De Niro’s role is reduced to a glorified cameo as a man who hides secrets while spouting pearls of wisdom. “The Bokushi is the master of illusion,” he explains, “and if everyone believes the illusion, it becomes reality.”

As it funnels toward a ridiculous climactic confrontation, Tin Soldier perhaps suffers from some unfortunate post-production tinkering. The Bokushi, at least, deserved a better edit.

Not rated, 86 minutes.