Atonement is a 2026 American drama film, written, produced and directed by Reed Van Dyk in his directorial debut and based on the 2012 New Yorker article "Atonement" by Dexter Filkins. It stars Boyd Holbrook, Hiam Abbass, and Kenneth Branagh.
The film had its world premiere at the Directors' Fortnight section of 2026 Cannes Film Festival on May 15, where it was nominated for the Caméra d'Or. It is scheduled to be released on October 2, 2026, by Kino Lorber.
Contents
Premise
A troubled US marine seeks to reconcile with the survivors of a family his unit fired on in Iraq in 2003.
Cast
Boyd Holbrook as Lou D'Alessandro
Hiam Abbass as Mariam Khachaturian
Kenneth Branagh as Michael Reid
Gheed as Nora
Yara Bakri as Anna
Kalama Epstein as Pat
Production
In May 2025, it was announced that Boyd Holbrook, Hiam Abbass, and Kenneth Branagh had joined the cast of the film, with Reed Van Dyk directing from a screenplay he wrote, based upon a New Yorker article by Dexter Filkins.
Principal photography began in Dallas, Texas. Filming also took place in Amman, Jordan. Cinematographer Jon Peter shot the film on 16mm.
Release
Atonement had its world premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in the Directors' Fortnight section on May 15. In July 2026, Kino Lorber acquired distribution rights to the film. It is scheduled to be released on October 2, 2026.
Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 92% based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10.