PG-13 | 2h 5m | Drama | 2017
When some people hear “military veteran,” they might think—tough, unshakeable, and built for pressure. People tend to treat military service as proof that someone can handle anything placed in front of him or her. However, the reality is far less simplistic and far more human.
Veterans relied on their training, discipline, and a sense of duty for survival while in the service. They also carry memories that don’t shut off once their uniforms are exchanged for civilian clothes. The 2017 drama “We Are Stronger” stepped into that gap without much press or media noise around it.
Exposure to combat, loss, and constant threat can reshape the nervous system. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, an average of 17.6 veterans die by suicide each day in the United States. That number doesn’t come from weakness. It comes from something difficult to bring up in casual conversations.
There’s also a gap between how people picture reintegration and how it actually plays out. Civilian life runs in a different rhythm, with lighter conversations and changing expectations that can leave parts of a veteran’s experience without a clear place in day-to-day life. What carried meaning during deployment can feel distant or even irrelevant back home, and that disconnect builds over time in ways that are hard to explain.
Stress, sound, and memory triggers can spike without warning, and even routine social pressure can wear someone down. A man who held it together overseas can find himself stuck in something as simple as a grocery store line, and that kind of contrast leaves many observers confused when they fall back on the idea that “toughness” should cover everything.
“We Are Stronger” is an independent film that follows a wounded veteran who’s trying to piece his life back together after a deployment to Afghanistan. He deals with strain at home, isolation, and the slow grind of recovery. The film comes from a faith-based perspective, shaped in part by organizations connected to veteran support and spiritual counseling.
A Mind Still Deployed
Victor “Vic” Rafael (Ulises Larramendi) wakes up from another nightmare, pulled out of it by his wife, Michelle (Angela Sweet), but he’s not free from it. Michelle sees the pattern and pushes him toward getting help. Nevertheless, he resists, saying that it’s always that way for veterans when they first return from overseas. She persists, saying that this last one affected him differently.
The film traces that break back to an ambush overseas, where a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) tears through Rafael’s unit, killing his friend Carter (Luke McDougal) and leaving Vic with a serious leg injury. The impact of that incident (and others) hangs over everything, showing up without warning and refusing to stay in the past.
Vic moves through his initial recovery in fragments. He agrees to see a psychiatrist, though he keeps his guard up and offers very little.
Physical therapy brings its own share of problems. In one scene, a simple clink of weights takes him straight back into a memory of he and Carter messing around in a base gym, a moment that once felt harmless but now cuts in a different way.
For him, the present never fully holds. Although Michelle tries to keep their life together, distance grows between them as Vic drifts between resistance and small attempts to engage. As the pressure builds, the film begins to point him toward something larger than himself, suggesting that getting through this will take more than discipline alone.
Small Film, Big Message
The storytelling in this production is genuinely remarkable because it captures the heavy reality veterans navigate every single day. Larramendi delivers a powerful performance. His portrayal shows Vic’s internal world through small, careful physical choices: flickering eye movements, posture, and how he carries himself.
There’s a moment where the crushing reality of his situation breaks through. Vic stares blankly, muttering: “I’m an American soldier … I was a soldier. But now I’m not. You know what I am now? I’m a patient … a burden. I’m what’s standing in her [his wife’s] way of moving on with her life. She deserves more.”
It feels incredibly authentic to see a performance that relies so much on these natural human reactions to convey such a difficult journey.
The narrative also highlights how turning toward faith provides a foundation for those dealing with these struggles. It emphasizes that opening up to family members and peers provides a much stronger path to recovery than trying to survive in isolation. Healing isn’t a solo act but a collective effort supported by the people who care the most. It’s refreshing to see a story that promotes connection over the instinct to pull away and be “tough.”
Behind the scenes, Reflective Media Productions collaborated with groups like Mighty Oaks Warriors and the Amos House of Faith to ensure this important message was handled with care.
The goal here is to shine a light on the reality of PTSD, while pointing toward the hope found in God. By working with these organizations, the creators have managed to build something that feels responsible and purposeful. They haven’t just made a movie here; they’ve opened up a conversation about mental health and spiritual support.
“We Are Stronger” is a high-quality project that succeeds because the acting is so genuine. It also addresses a topic that’s frequently misunderstood or simply brushed aside by society at large.
Even though the plot centers on one individual finding his way back, the message of resilience and hope serves as a beautiful lesson for any audience.
“We Are Stronger” is available on GJW+.
‘We Are Stronger’
Directors: Jake M. Allen, Robin B. Murray
Starring: Ulises Larramendi, Angela Sweet, Justina Page
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes
Release Date: September 2017
Rated: 4 1/2 stars out of 5
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