FRAY - Trailer
Channel: Indie Film Trailers
Date: 19/04/2019

A new trailer for the motion picture FRAY about a combat veteran returning home from war. The LA Times says FRAY, "packs a punch" and was "directed with grit and authenticity by Ryan". The film won the Grand Jury Prize at Dances With Films, and best feature film at the UK Film Festival and Arizona Intl. Film Festival.

Justin (Bryan Kaplan) is a United States Marine Corp veteran of five tours of duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan who has returned to face a new battle at home. Wounded in combat he spends his days juggling hospital visits for physical therapy, part time work doing clean-up at a wood mill, and his studies for a few courses at the community college. 

Amidst the mundane pattern of his civilian life a turbulent current pulls him downward. His work hours continue to get cut and his disability pay is delayed in a never ending bureaucracy. He’s behind on rent, cannot afford gas, and unable to make it through a day without falling further behind. The long walk to work takes a toll on his injured leg and he pulls a few small crimes to survive - stealing a can of gas from work, and dumpster diving from a fast found joint for food. 

On top of all this the psychological toll of war continues to rage inside him causing him sleepless nights and turbulent days. Yet, amidst all of this he find solace in the dense Oregon forests. Whether sitting beside a raging river where the sound of the rough waters drown it all out, or atop the clear-cut hills looking out over a sunset where he can feel furthest away from it all and most whole. 

Because of his financial woes he misses a few classes and one of his professors, Cheri (Marisa Costa), holds him after class. She continues this tutorship to help him keep up with the others and through their one-on-one time a romance begins. She finds in Justin a worldliness and depth beyond that of the locals even if he masks it with sarcasm and cynically thinking of himself as just “some dumb grunt”. 

Paul (Wes Harris), his boss at the mill, is an old veteran who takes a liking to Justin and having been through his own struggles is a bit of a mentor for Justin. And, one of his co-workers, Matt (Drew Hicks), befriends him and gets him out for a some fun with the guys every so often. 

Justin’s social life seems to be coming together when gets an email relaying news that some of his Marine buddies died in a battle. He tries to hide his pain but it builds - the struggles here at home and the guilt for not being over there to protect his brothers in combat - and he snaps. Afraid of his own outburst and what he might do he retreats into the woods to escape it all. 

Having ghosted his work, his friends, and even Cheri, Justin is alone now and pulled between wanting to make it all right again and the urge to retreat further into isolation. Despite the best efforts of those who care about him, and his own efforts to heal, there are no easy answers for the troubles he faces and no fix for Justin’s pain. Will his choice be to end it all or to soldier on?