Many films about the effects of war begin with a soldier’s return home. The new film Sheepdog shifts the focus to the longer-term impact — the complicated process of living with what service leaves behind. A character-driven drama written, directed by, and starring Steven Grayhm (The Secret of Sinchanee), the film follows decorated U.S. Army combat veteran Calvin Cole, who is court-ordered into treatment and forced to confront the personal and psychological fallout of combat, family breakdown, and unresolved trauma.
Opening exclusively in cinemas on January 16, 2026, Sheepdog was shot on location in Western Massachusetts and approaches its subject through the lens of post-traumatic growth rather than trauma alone.
The cast includes Vondie Curtis-Hall (The Night House, Gridlock’d, “Daredevil”), Virginia Madsen (Sideways, Candyman, “Designated Survivor”), Dominic Fumusa (“Dexter: Resurrection”, “Nurse Jackie”), Lilli Cooper (“Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock”, “Hazbin Hotel”), and Matt Dallas (Along Came the Devil, “Kyle XY”). Curtis-Hall plays a Vietnam veteran whose appearance in Calvin’s life prompts a generational reckoning shaped by two very different wars.
In anticipation of the film’s release this week, CinemaChords spoke with Grayhm and Curtis-Hall about the long road to bringing Sheepdog to the screen, the contrasting experiences of veterans across eras, and the film’s focus on responsibility, healing, and the difficult task of making a life from what remains, and allowing growth beyond loss.
Help is always available 24/7 at the Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 9-8-8, Press 1
