The Yellow Birds is one of the more puzzling films I’ve seen all year. Not because of some convoluted plot or unconventional cinematography, which might have been interesting given the genre. No, my confusion comes from the film’s uneven qualities. Somehow the film provides a uniquely realistic look at the effects of war while the plot does its best to cloud our view. Based on Kevin Powers’ novel of the same name, The Yellow Birds follows the lives of two soldiers deployed in Iraq.