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The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker

Drama · Thriller · War · 2008

During the Iraq War, a Sergeant recently assigned to an army bomb squad is put at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work.

Movie details

The Hurt Locker

“You don't have to be a hero to do this job. But it helps.”

2008 Drama · Thriller · War 2h 11m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.3 / 10

Community rating

During the Iraq War, a Sergeant recently assigned to an army bomb squad is put at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Hurt Locker?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Jarhead is a film about a US Marine Anthony Swofford’s experience in the Gulf War. After putting up with an arduous boot camp, Swofford and his unit are sent to the Persian Gulf where they are eager to fight, but are forced to stay back from the action. Swofford struggles with the possibility of his girlfriend cheating on him, and as his mental state deteriorates, his desire to kill increases.

Stop-Loss

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The Yellow Birds

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Two young soldiers, Bartle and Murph, navigate the terrors of the Iraq war under the command of the older, troubled Sergeant Sterling. All the while, Bartle is tortured by a promise he made to Murph's mother before their deployment.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Kathryn Bigelow

Written by

Mark Boal

Jeremy Renner

Jeremy Renner

Staff Sergeant William James

Anthony Mackie

Anthony Mackie

Sergeant JT Sanborn

Brian Geraghty

Brian Geraghty

Specialist Owen Eldridge

David Morse

David Morse

Colonel Reed

Guy Pearce

Guy Pearce

Sergeant Matt Thompson

Evangeline Lilly

Evangeline Lilly

Connie James

Ralph Fiennes

Ralph Fiennes

Contractor Team Leader

Court is in session

Put The Hurt Locker on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.