Sgt. Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe) returns home after a tour in Iraq to a hero’s welcome. He is excited to leave the Army and get on with his life when he is told that because of a clause in his employment contract (Stop Loss), he will instead go back to Iraq for another tour. He rails against this to his CO, shouting “Fuck the President!” He is taken into custody and escapes, fleeing Texas on the hope that a local Senator can help him get out of going back to Iraq. Along the way, he and his buddies (still in Texas) deal with alcoholism, post traumatic stress disorder, and a variety of other problems. Ultimately, Sgt King must deal with issues of honour, friendship and love to make his decision.

Another anti-war war movie, Stop Loss succeeds where others fail. It shows the stress he is under and how he feels that he has done his duty. He is conflicted with family issues, as some feel he should return and other don’t. The tension in the PTSD scenes is palpable and riveting. Phillippe and the others in the cast do an excellent job portraying the problems soldiers have after returning from such dangerous missions. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun) is particularly good as Tommy, a soldier who loves the Army and has trouble readjusting to civilian life.