The Jacket

After a brutal tour in the Gulf War, Jack Starks returns home with scars that run deeper than skin. He ends up in a locked coastal hospital where a clinical oddity drags him beyond the present. A mysterious treatment vaults Jack into a future realm where his death seems foretold and the stakes feel unusually intimate. In this strange time he encounters clues about what might save him and the people he loves, though the path is tangled and perilous. He forms a fragile bond with Jackie Price, a patient who becomes essential to his fragile hope. The journey is disorienting and intimate, forcing Jack to weigh what is worth risking to rescue lives he cares about.

Released in 2005, The Jacket was directed by John Maybury and written by Massy Tadjedin, Tom Bleecker, and Marc Rocco from an original screenplay. Adrien Brody stars as Jack Starks with Keira Knightley as Jackie Price in this psychological thriller.

The Jacket earned attention for mood and performances more than box office. Critics note its uneasy blend of mystery and science fiction and its probing of memory, trauma, and fate, anchored by Brody and Knightley in restrained turns, a pairing that elevates the film's quiet tension.

Reviewers praised the film for its atmosphere and strong themes, while some questioned plausibility and pacing. Central ideas include how memory shapes identity, the ethics of time manipulation, and the endurance of love when reality becomes uncertain. The film invites discussion on how time travel would affect responsibility and relationships.