He gave us nothing to cheer at with the exception of the bombing near the end of the film, but he immediately and unrelentingly takes away any joy with the death of a leading character. In the moments before that final bombing scene and death, there is no doubt in your mind that, to quote Joe-Bob Briggs, anybody can die at any time. If the 'hero' is in peril, to the audience the peril is felt because they really don't know whether he will live or die. The movie is not so predictable that you know which characters will survive. The first thirty minutes of this film not only generate an empathy for the survivors to build the story from, it takes away any preconceived notions of heroes in general.
Any character can die.
Death doesn't care. The movie's success lies in it's unconventional approach. Abandoning Hollywood's formulas and relying on creativity is the wellspring of better films, and the expression of the creative vision runs strongest among the independents. There are undoubtedly a great many films that should be seen but are doomed to anonymity because they don't have the general appeal and marketability needed to rise to the public's attention. There are, however, film festivals large and small that showcase such work being held all over the nation.