What a perfect depiction of the life of a PTSD sufferer, understated and intimate - I have never seen such a candid portrayal of the day-to-day strife post-trauma!As a film it is beautifully directed and skilfully carried in virtual silence by Bryan Kaplan who is painfully insular and brooding, yet longing for connection and joys of the life he once had. Really enjoyed watching it and found it completely cathartic!

Director Geoff Ryan does a fine job with this quiet, observant character study. It's a slow and deliberate film that allows us to discover moments as the characters in the film do. Another plus is a terrific, understated yet bold performance by Bryan Kaplan as the angst filled protagonist. One of the joys of indie films is that they highlight character development through observance and raw honesty.

I am a hard marker when it comes to military-related films. As a combat veteran myself, I can vouch for this one. Those who find it "unconvincing" are just naive to the reality of coming "home" after desperately hoping & fighting to get back, only to find no home left. To find that the sacrifice did not lead to more prosperous opportunities, that people don't understand you, and that even though it feels like everything has been taken from you, somehow you still miss the experience that made you feel so alive and on the edge. You miss your brothers. It's an incredibly difficult thing to transition back into society after surviving with a group of people holding so close to the heart this notion of your home, wherever that is, and making it back to realize it doesn't exist anymore. You aren't the same and you never will be. It's like a whole new, more f'ed up phase of mental hardships that blindsided you. And I could write a book. There's the reality of this emotion and then there's the attempt to express it. So I want to give this movie real props for getting it close enough to keep my attention. In fact, I totally fell into it and related to many scenes. I reflected about myself and how I am towards others at times. I reflected about how much I've gone on these respites alone in nature, just walking and wanting to be alone. So I don't think I spoiled anything in this review that isn't suggested in a preview. I just needed to write a review for the first time ever because I feel like this film deserves credit. And Bryan Kaplan did a fantastic job. That is all.

It is an unspoken rule that you don't disparage our nation's brave soldiers in any way, shape or form. Heck, Spam would be every mom's first choice for dinner if only the label depicted a smiling grunt waving the American flag. That said, any applause you hear for Geoff Ryan's "Fray" and protagonist Justin Williams is most likely being feigned.Williams is a vet who returns stateside after five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He finds himself in a small, depressed logging town. Clearly it's not his hometown so, other than his taking respite in the serene woodlands, we are left guessing why Williams chose to settle in the village from Deliverance.With no rhyme or reason, Williams takes one class in the local community college. He begins a romance with his professor and shortly moves in with her. This is where the movie falls off the cliff. In his first night with his love interest, Williams wakes up to a late night panic attack and leaves. What follows is a subtle montage of Williams wandering through the woods in the rain, sleeping in his truck, throwing himself in the mud and yet still showing up for job interviews as if he'd spent the night in a Courtyard Marriott. After forty five minutes of wondering, "What will he do next?" the movie ends abruptly with a cliché phone call to his doting professor.It is clear from the outset that Williams struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder. He's been to hell on earth and back; we get it. Unlike similar films, however, there are no flashbacks; only the sounds of gunshots and shells exploding inside Williams' head. In The Last Samurai, Tom Cruise recalls a black and white vision of his regiment as it prepares to slaughter Indian women and children. Cruise's feelings are powerful and palpable. Williams "moments" don't have nearly the same impact. Despite the bare-bones plot, Bryan Kaplan plays the role well and the cinematography deserves special mention. I suppose Fray will satisfy cinephiles who enjoy character studies; for most others Fray will fall flat.