The first feature film from director Reed Van Dyk, “Atonement,” is currently playing in select theaters before a nationwide release on Oct. 9.
The drama is adapted from a 12-page 2012 New Yorker article by Dexter Filkins. The story follows a former U.S. Marine who meets face to face with an Iraqi woman whose husband and two sons were killed by the Marine’s unit after their vehicle was mistaken for a hostile threat.
From Journalism to Cinema
Van Dyk first encountered Filkins’ article in 2012. While he spent the following years directing unrelated short films—including “DeKalb Elementary,” which earned an Oscar nomination in 2018—he maintained an interest in the story of the Marine and the Iraqi woman. Roughly a decade later, Van Dyk secured the resources to produce the film, which he described as an opportunity to foreground the Iraqi civilian experience.
During a Q&A at Angelika Film Center moderated by USA TODAY, Van Dyk said of the real-life subjects that there was something profound that transpired in that meeting between them.
To ensure authenticity, Van Dyk spent extensive time with the real-life people who inspired the movie and consulted documentaries such as “Homeland: Iraq Year Zero” and “Restrepo.” He also worked with Iraqi actors, including Gheed, who plays the character Nora, to capture the nuances of daily life in Baghdad.
Boyd Holbrook Portrays Veteran Struggling with Guilt
The film stars Boyd Holbrook as Lou D’Alessandro, a veteran struggling with insurmountable guilt and post-traumatic stress disorder following the 2003 incident. Seeking absolution, Lou arranges a meeting through journalist Michael Reid (played by Kenneth Branagh) with Mariam Khachaturian (played by Hiam Abbass), who has moved to the United States with her family.
Holbrook met with the actual Lou and researched the mental and physical effects of PTSD to prepare for the role. He noted that mental health resources were likely less available two decades ago. Holbrook called Lou’s spiritual calling
to find the family courageous,
adding that while the character was shattered,
he finds the strength to repair.
In contrast, Abbass chose not to read the original article or meet the real Mariam, preferring to interpret the character through Van Dyk’s script. Abbass highlighted the emotional power of the scene where Mariam tells Lou, We want to give you everything you need to move on, so we forgive you. We don’t want you to suffer over this.
Abbass said that Mariam’s ability to remain in control of her emotions while looking Lou in the eyes felt beyond humanity; beyond the capacity of human beings.
Director Aimed for Quieter Character Study than Traditional War Movies
The film premiered on Sept. 15 during the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. Van Dyk stated that he intended the movie to be a “quieter character study” about young men tasked with pulling the trigger, rather than a traditional war movie that treats combat like a “public sporting event.”
Van Dyk said that unlike Hollywood war movies where Iraqi people are seen through sniper scopes,
this project allowed him to live intimately alongside them.
Holbrook expressed hope that he could do justice
to military veterans. Abbass, a Palestinian woman who believes wars have never been the answer to anything in life,
wants the film to highlight the tragedy
of innocent civilians in wartime.