Angel Has Fallen not only takes Mike Banning into his darkest hour but also his hidden past. Things take a wild switchback into turbulent father-son territory when Banning looks for refuge in the last place on earth he ever thought he'd go- his long-estranged father's off-the-grid cabin. Here he has to confront a man he has never understood or had the chance to question: the Vietnam veteran who walked out on him as a boy and retreated from his PTSD and paranoia into life as a lone survivalist in the woods.

Creating a sometimes comical, but always compelling, contrast with Butler's Mike Banning is the casting of Nick Nolte, known for his portraits of characters with tough hides but convoluted innards. Here, he brings a sense of frayed dignity to a man not quite sure if he's ready for redemption.