THE WAR WITHIN opens Friday, October 14th at the Lumiere Theatre. “The broad strokes of The War Within represent some of America’s worst fears. This is the story of a man committed to sacrificing his own life in a murderous act of terror. But this is not a film of broad strokes. Instead, in a mounting succession of chilling, understated scenes, it quietly charts the map of uncertainty between Hassan’s decision and the realization of his plot.” – Cameron Bailey, Toronto Film Festival (read full review)

A letter from the film's director/co-writer, Joseph Castelo:
"Inspired by films like Shadow of a Doubt, Taxi Driver, and The Battle of Algiers, I wanted to make a movie that explored the painful no-man’s land between empathy and terror. It seems to me that’s where we are caught today, in a world reshaped since 9/11 into a landscape of treacherous ideologies peopled by dehumanized effigies. How to make a truthful and gripping—a visceral and yet emotionally intelligent experience—about this subject in today’s climate? Which is to ask: How to stay true to the human realities of the film’s subject matter, realities which are so often obscured by the politicizing discourses we have become accustomed to?
THE WAR WITHIN is our attempt. My filmmaking partners and I committed ourselves deeply to this difficult task, and we are tremendously gratified by the opportunity finally to share it with audiences."

Joseph Castelo Hassan (co-writer Ayad Akhtar) is a Pakistani suicide bomber heading for New York, but the day the attack is due to take place, all the cell members except him and another man are arrested. Desperate, Hassan turns to his former best friend Sayeed (Firdous Bamji), who is living the American dream with his family in New Jersey. After lying to Sayeed about why he is in the U.S., Hassan begins buying parts for explosives. As the days pass, and he gets closer to Sayeed's family, Hassan's determination to complete his mission starts to waver.

You can watch the trailer here. You can buy tickets here.

MAJOR props to Castelo for having the balls to tread and tackle the grays of reality, painting it like it is.