In the Vietnam jungle, Private Evans, a Black Chinook mechanic, survives three helicopter crashes in one day, battling the Viet Cong and his own unraveling humanity in a fight for survival.

SYNOPSIS:

BASED ON AN UNTOLD TRUE STORY!

"Three crashes. One man. A forgotten story of survival in the heart of Vietnam’s darkest jungle."

Genre:

• War Drama
• Psychological Thriller
• Survival Story
• Historical Drama

Tone:

• Gritty and Intense: The story plunges into the harsh realities of war, focusing on the brutality and psychological toll it takes on soldiers. There's a raw, unfiltered look at the violence, fear, and desperation of jungle combat.
• Dark and Foreboding: The oppressive atmosphere of the Vietnam jungle mirrors the descent into darkness that Evans experiences, with moments of horror as he loses touch with his humanity. The tone is constantly tense, with danger lurking in every shadow.
• Emotionally Heavy: Though filled with action and survival, the story is deeply emotional, exploring trauma, guilt, and the psychological scars of war. Evans’ retrospective narration adds a layer of sadness and reflection to the story, highlighting the personal cost of war.
• Realistic and Raw: The tone leans into realism, with authentic depictions of the Vietnam War era, from the technical aspects of Chinook helicopters to the grueling survival situations.

PITCH:

Smooth Operator follows the harrowing and untold story of Private Evans, a young Black mechanic thrust from the safety of his helicopter maintenance role into the brutal realities of jungle warfare during the Vietnam War. New to the horrors of combat, Evans quickly learns that survival demands more than mechanical skills. After a fateful patrol deep in the bush, where the lines between man and beast blur, Evans adopts the savage tactics of the Viet Cong, wearing the trophies of war to ward off death.

Months later, Evans, now a trained Chinook crew chief, faces his ultimate trial: surviving three helicopter crashes in a single day. Flight after flight, he defies death, battling heat-seeking missiles, RPGs, and the unforgiving jungle as his crew is killed around him. Each time he walks away, he's forced to rely on his raw, animalistic instincts honed in the bush. The true test of Evans' survival is not just against the Viet Cong, but the unraveling of his humanity as he becomes more like the jungle that consumes him.

Told for the first time in 1984 by a now-drunken, battle-worn Evans, Smooth Operator is the haunting confession of a man who survived the unspeakable but paid the price with his soul.