Not long after the September 11^th terrorist attacks in New York, United States, the CIA assign rookie agent Maya (Jessica Chastain) to Pakistan in a bid to seek out the man responsible for the attacks, Osama bin Laden. For the years that follow, obsession ensues, before finally his whereabouts are thought to be known and the next objective for the American’s is to assassinate the threat. A well-made movie that is polarising to some, but well received by others. Zero Dark Thirty is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Writers:  Mark Boal
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Chris Pratt, Joel Edgerton, James Gandolfini, Jennifer Ehle, Edgar Ramirez, Frank Grillo, John Barrowman

The decade long search for terrorist leader Osama bin Laden is a well-known topic for many westerners. Zero Dark Thirty attempts to depict the hunt from the very beginning, right up until the final moments of bin Laden’s life in May of 2011, using first-hand accounts of real events that occurred. It is worth noting that not every aspect of the production was entirely accurate, with some details also being omitted from the filming process. The picture was nominated for five Oscar awards, walking away with one win in the “Best Achievement to Sound Editing” category.

Typically speaking, this isn’t your typical war film. Zero Dark Thirty comes across as more of a long-winded and at times confusing political thriller, which jumps between different timelines and is reminiscent of the television show, Homeland. The film suffers on different occasions when piecing together various events, meaning information is sometimes filtered through too quickly for the viewer to comprehend. With that being said, there were some solid moments of suspense, which you’d come to expect from a movie of this nature.

Something worth highlight too, would be the fact that there are some scenes that may not be suitable for all viewers. A multitude of controversial and unsettling moments are injected into the mighty one-hundred and fifty-seven minute runtime, sparking debate around the subject of integration techniques that America, or more specifically the CIA, will use on its enemies to gain information. Some will regard them as inhumane, while others will see them as a necessary evil in the war on terror.

One of the surprising, yet standout factors of the film would have to be the vast array of well-known faces brought to the big screen. Jessica Chastain adopted the role of Maya, demanding the majority of on-screen presence with support predominantly stemming from Jason Clarke and Kyle Chandler, who appeared as Dan and Joseph, respectively. Elsewhere, however, there were appearances reigning in from all kinds of directions, with Chris Pratt, Joel Edgerton, James Gandolfini, Jennifer Ehle, Edgar Ramirez, Frank Grillo and even John Barrowman starring, albeit in less prominent roles.

Zero Dark Thirty may not be your typical American war flick, but it certainly provides an abundance of intrigue and suspense throughout the near three-hour runtime, providing more than enough entertainment along the way. It may not be for everybody, but if you’re hoping for a depiction of what the search for Osama bin Laden was like, I’d give this a shot. Zero Dark Thirty is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

“Quite frankly, I didn’t even want to use you guys, with your dip and velcro and all your gear bullshit. I wanted to drop a bomb.“

Maya – Zero Dark Thirty