John Boyega is great but 'Breaking' doesn't do justice to the sad story of a US veteran

In 2017, Lance Cpl. Brian Brown-Easley walked into a Wells Fargo and held two employees hostage, threatening to blow up the building with a bomb in his backpack.

But he wasn’t trying to rob the bank. He wanted to get media attention for the fact that he had not received his disability check from the Veterans Administration. This is a true story, and he was owed $892.

"892" was the original title of "Breaking," which is directed by Abi Damaris Corbin, who first learned of Brown-Easley's story in an article in Task & Purpose, a publication dedicated to military news and culture.

The real story is incredibly compelling and insightful. The movie doesn't quite live up to it. At least, not as much as I had hoped.

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Who is Brian Brown-Easley?

Brown-Easley (John Boyega) is relying on his checks from the VA to get by after being honorably discharged from the Marines and unable to hold down a job. He has PTSD, is paranoid and likely schizophrenic, but also kind, smart and incredibly polite, even to the hostages.

The entire time, he calls the two women (Nicole Beharie and Selenis Leyva) ma’am, asks if they’re OK and apologizes for raising his voice at them. At one point, when he thinks shots are being fired, he jumps on top of one of the women to shield her.

He makes it clear that he has no intention to harm them, and that if he does decide to detonate the bomb, he will let them out first. He just needs them there for leverage to get what he wants, which is for the world to see what veterans like him are going through.

He manages to get on the phone with a local reporter (Connie Britton) and begins talking to a hostage negotiator played by Michael Kenneth Williams (in one of his final roles before he died in September 2021).

But things are happening much slower than Brian would like, and he's getting increasingly frustrated.

He could easily just take the money from the bank, but he insists it has to come from the VA. He also says he knows there’s no way he makes it out of this situation alive, either because of the bomb or because the police will shoot him. But this is bigger than him.

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It's not really about the money

Veterans who use tuition assistance have to pay back the money if they miss too many classes. This process isn't often made clear, especially the fact that if they're receiving disability checks, the money goes straight to paying off those debts.

That’s what the VA tells Brown-Easley happened to his money, but he insists that the issue was resolved with the school. He calls the VA multiple times and goes to the office, but he is fed up with the disregard for his well-being and he ends up getting into a confrontation that leads to him being handcuffed by security.

Instead of support and assistance, he feels, the government he served not only stole his money but forced him into debt and left him on the street, unable to feed himself or support his daughter. He decides he has to do something, not just for himself, but for all the veterans whose stories are being ignored.

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'Breaking' doesn't live up to its potential

The movie is painstakingly slow, presumably purposefully to emulate the frustration Brown-Easley must have been feeling. But to fill that time, the filmmakers introduce unnecessary details and plot holes that distract from the real story of the systemic failures he faced, not only from the VA but the police, the media and society as a whole.

The true story, along with Boyega’s amazing performance, prop up what would otherwise be a lackluster thriller. From the trailer, I expected to like it a lot more than I did, but it doesn't do Brown-Easley's story the justice it deserves.

'Breaking' 2.5 stars

Great ★★★★★ Good ★★★★

Fair ★★★ Bad ★★ Bomb ★

Director: Abi Damaris Corbin.

Cast: John Boyega, Michael Kenneth Williams, Nicole Beharie, Selenis Leyva and Connie Britton.

Rating: PG-13 for "some violent content, and strong language."

Note: In theaters starting Aug. 26.

Contact the reporter at alexis.potter@azcentral.com or follow the reporter on Twitter @alexispotter_.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Breaking' movie review: John Boyega is heartbreakingly good