What happens to soldiers when they come back from war? This question is answered in The Dry Land. James (Ryan O’Nan) comes home from Iraq and struggles to resume a normal life with his wife Sarah (America Ferrera). But the traumas of war have left him scared and unable to adjust. On the brink of a meltdown and unable to remember what happened to him during an attacked that happened in his unit’s humvee, he decides to take a road trip with his friend and fellow soldier Raymond (Wilmer Valderrama). James and Raymond drive to Walter Reed to visit another soldier, Henry (Diego Klattenhoff) who was also in the attack. When he comes back from the road trip he faces another tragic event, the illness and eventual death of his mother (Melissa Leo). The events take a toll on his marriage as Sarah relies on their friend Michael (Jason Ritter) for support. The film ends when James sees Sarah and Michael in a truck and triggers aggressive emotions in James. Eventually, James beats up Michael, is chased by the police to his trailer and locks himself where he contemplates suicide.