"Neil Wistin" (Sean Bean) is a drone pilot who works for a firm that is contracted out to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). One day, while in the process of targeting a deadly Taliban terrorist in Pakistan he accidentally also kills a woman and her teenage daughter in the process. Although he is initially unaware of this, as fate would have it a year later he meets a man named "Imir Shaw" (Patrick Sanbongui) from that exact same place who remembers the incident only too well—and he has much to say to Neil. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this movie relies heavily upon suspense and it works well for the most part. It also carries an underlying message which is none t00 favorable toward the U.S. policy of utilizing civilian contractors to eliminate terror suspects by using drones and other similar methods at their disposal. To that effect, this approach tended to become a bit too heavy-handed in that regard and along with a couple of nonessential sub-plots caused the film to drag in some places. Likewise, the rather cluttered ending didn't help matters either. In short, this was an okay film for the most part and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Average.

The main reason that I did not expect much from this movie is Bean is not much of an actor. The acting by the entire cast is stiff, the story line is anti-American propaganda and is preposterous. I can't image how I would feel if I paid to see this in a theater for $10 or more. I only paid $1.50 to rent and I did not finish it. Hope that helps.

In the bonus segment of the DVD version of "Drone," there was a deleted scene that was instructive in defining the dysfunction of the Wistin family. The teenage son named Shane is being counseled at his high school, and he opens up to the psychologist about his home life. The youngster is grieving over the death of his grandfather, but the grief extends to Shane's frustrating relationship with his dad with whom the youngster is unable to communicate.The inclusion of this deleted scene in the final film cut would have explained more completely the backdrop for the troubled Wistin family that was left vague for filmmgoers. And the core emotion of guilt is what drives the parents of Shane: the guilt of the mother Ellen who is having an affair and the guilt of the father Neil who is a contractor for the CIA involved in drone strikes in the Middle East.The film opens in Miramsha, Pakistan on March 21, 2016, where innocent civilians are killed in an American drone strike. On the one-year anniversary of the strike, the scene shifts to Renton, Washington where on the fateful anniversary, the Wistin family will be confronted by Imir Shah, whose wife and daughter perished in the strike.Unintentionally, the serious drama lapses into near comedy, due to the naivety and indeed stupidity of the husband, who fails to perceive the danger posed by Mr. Shah, arriving at his home with a briefcase and claiming that he wishes to spend $16,000 for a used boat! No other motives about the stranger's bizarre appearance on his property occur to the dim-witted Neil.Without a doubt the most interesting character in the film is the inventive Imir Shah. He succeeds in evading the feds in entering the country. He skillfully tracks the top secret work activities of Neil. And he shadows Ellen, capturing her on camera with her lover Ted. In the most moving part of the film, Imir helps Neil with the preparation of the eulogy for his father, suggesting that funeral speech should open with a childhood memory and then address the three constituent elements of how the dead live on in our memories through (a) their good deeds; (b) charity given in the spirit of their good name; and (c) the knowledge they leave behind that benefited others. Those words of wisdom seemingly had never been considered by Neil.The heart and soul of the film is the confessional that occurs in the Wistin family. Yet the aftereffect of the family's newfound understanding seems shallow. Neil was in violation of the Geneva protocol. Will his whistleblowing actions serve to expiate his sins? Will they be anything more than a drop in the bucket with regard to the covert operations of the CIA? Similarly, it is not clear if Ellen will be transformed from the experience. Her background is in ethnology, and she teaches "comparative cultures" at the local community college. Will she become any more enlightened from the traumatic encounter in her home? The family member who appears to have the greatest humanity is young Shane, who fittingly sends out a toy ship into the lake with a nobel tribute paid to his grandfather: "I'll see you in Valhalla, gramps!" Shane is in the best position to transform his life out of the ashes of the secrets and lies of the Wistin family.

At the start of the film I felt that I was about to go on a journey through the life of a drone operator in a combat role but alas that is not where this film is heading. Sean puts on a pretty decent American accent which is a bit of a plus. I felt that the ending was poor and predictable. 4 stars means is a wet weather film.