Father Soldier Son

R

2020

1 hr. 39 min.

Documentary

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List

91%

35 Reviews

Tomatometer

75%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

Wounded in Afghanistan, Sgt. 1st Class Brian Eisch and his sons set off on a journey of love, loss and redemption.

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Netflix

Watch Father Soldier Son with a subscription on Netflix.

Critics Consensus

Taking the long view in its look at a military family's emotional journey allows Father Soldier Son to offer a uniquely moving perspective on the effects of war.

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Lisa H

Very emotional documentary...Brian is a good man and loving father...So sad for Isaac who didnt really want to join the army ...just wanted to please his father ..

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/19/23

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Audience Member

Moving at times and a good capsulization of the multi-generational military "culture" that breeds and perpetuates the personnas of the father and the son. The screenplay sums up that narrative extremely well.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

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Audience Member

Netflix this emotional roller coaster documentary, inspiring nonetheless.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

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Audience Member

Brian Eisch is a single parent who is deployed to Afghanistan. His sons, approximately 10 and 12 at the beginning of the film, love and admire him as a hero who is serving their country. The film explores what happens to the family over the next 10 years after Brian is permanently disabled as a result of a war injury. I liked the film mostly for the way it shows how the "tough man" aspect of masculinity is transmitted through the family culture. The film could have explored more deeply the impact that the father's injury had on the sons as they were coming of age. There is an underlying sadness throughout the film that provides stunning commentary on how families – in this case, fathers and sons - navigate various crises of manhood and identity in the military context. Thumbs up for a film that doesn't explore its topic as deeply as it could (and should) have, but it still provides an engaging and provocative viewing experience. It seems a bit of a cross between Boyhood and Coming Home.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Eye-opening, gut-wrenching, a must-watch!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This Netflix documentary was pretty good. The crew did a terrific job of bringing this story to life. The plot is very dramatic and depressing. It gives a deep insight of what this family was going through during very difficult times in their lives. Even though, they were having issues at home, they still managed to move on and become a family again. If you're a Netflix member, you should check out this documentary. You'll enjoy it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

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Father Soldier Son: Trailer 1

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Tim Robey

Daily Telegraph (UK)

In its outcomes and politics, this film is almost begging to be oversimplified, but it's well worth staying on the alert for the ironies, the complexities and the tacit questions it finds a host of ways to express.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 10, 2020

Full Review

Alissa Wilkinson

Vox

It's an observational documentary that doesn't push any one perspective too heavily; it's possible to watch it as a straightforward tribute to American soldiers and their families. But there often seems to be something darker lurking beneath the film.

Aug 4, 2020

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Robert Levin

Newsday

Captures something essential about how our families shape us and help us make sense of the inexplicable.

Rated: 4/4

Jul 23, 2020

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M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

The themes in Father Soldier Son are under the radar, ever-lasting, and have devastating effects that shape generations — it’s one of the year’s very best documentary films.

Rated: 4.5/5

Sep 1, 2022

Full Review

Alex Bentley

CultureMap

The fact that someone like Brian Eisch has sacrificed so much in the name of an ideal is humbling. Father Soldier Son is a compelling portrait of what that sacrifice looks like, and the impact it has on those closest to the person who gave so much.

Feb 5, 2021

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Alexandra James

Film Inquiry

Regardless of your thoughts about the Army, Father Soldier Son offers you the opportunity to see why people join the Army rather than padding the film with patriotism or criticism.

Aug 10, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

Wounded in Afghanistan, Sgt. 1st Class Brian Eisch and his sons set off on a journey of love, loss and redemption.

Director: Catrin Einhorn, Leslye Davis
Executive Producer: Rebecca Corbett, James Dao
Production Co: Netflix
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 18, 2020

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