The film won the Special Jury Award: Ensemble Cast at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Here is the official synopsis for “Breaking:”

When Marine Veteran Brian Brown-Easley is denied support from Veterans Affairs, financially desperate and running out of options, he takes a bank and several of its employees’ hostage, setting the stage for a tense confrontation with the police. Based on the true story.

“Breaking” also stars the late Michael K. Williams as the negotiating officer Eli Bernard, Connie Britton as a producer at the local news station, Olivia Washington as Brown-Ealey’s wife Cassandra, and London Covington as their young daughter Kiah. The film is distributed by Bleecker Street. 

Whatever happens with this movie, I hope it shines yet another light on the plight of veterans in this country. I was gut-punched enough just watching the trailer this morning that I had to take a few moments to breathe before writing. I hope this is one of the instances in which the power of cinema changes things. 

“Breaking” will premiere in theaters on August 26, 2022.