Based on Dexter Filkins’ New Yorker essay and inspired by true events, Atonement follows the actions of American soldiers in Iraq in 2003, and the subsequent ramifications to both the soldiers and the survivors a decade later. While trying to avoid bombs in their home, matriarch Mariam (Hiam Abbass) is caught in a horrific cross-fire that changes her and her family’s life forever. Years later, former US Marine Lou (Boyd Holbrook) still struggles with the guilt of his actions in war, connecting with journalist Michael Reid (Kenneth Branagh) to help reunite with the victim’s family to finally atone for his wartime sins and face the victims. Beautifully shot on film and tenderly rendered by its lead and supporting cast, Atonement is an unflinching depiction of both the horrors of war and the power of forgiveness.