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Zero Dark Thirty

Zero Dark Thirty

Thriller · Drama · 2012

A chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May, 2011.

Movie details

Zero Dark Thirty

“The greatest manhunt in history.”

2012 Thriller · Drama 2h 37m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.0 / 10

Community rating

A chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May, 2011.

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 Zero Dark Thirty?

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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Lone Survivor

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Munich

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During the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, eleven Israeli athletes are taken hostage and murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group known as Black September. In retaliation, the Israeli government recruits a group of Mossad agents to track down and execute those responsible for the attack.

The Operative

The Operative

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A young Western woman is recruited by the Mossad to go undercover in Tehran where she becomes entangled in a complex triangle with her handler and her subject.

The Report

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Drama · 2019

The story of Daniel Jones, lead investigator for the US Senate’s sweeping study into the CIA's Detention and Interrogation Program, which was found to be brutal, immoral and ineffective. With the truth at stake, Jones battled tirelessly to make public what many in power sought to keep hidden.

The Wall

The Wall

War · 2017

An American sniper and his spotter engage in a deadly cat-and-mouse game with an Iraqi sniper.

Shooter

Shooter

Drama · 2007

A top Marine sniper, Bob Lee Swagger, leaves the military after a mission goes horribly awry and disappears, living in seclusion. He is coaxed back into service after a high-profile government official convinces him to help thwart a plot to kill the President of the United States. Ultimately double-crossed and framed for the attempt, Swagger becomes the target of a nationwide manhunt. He goes on the run to track the real killer and find out who exactly set him up, and why, eventually seeking revenge against some of the most powerful and corrupt leaders in the free world.

One Shot

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An elite squad of Navy SEALs, on a covert mission to transport a prisoner off a CIA black site island prison, are trapped when insurgents attack while trying to rescue the same prisoner.

The Siege

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Drama · 1998

The secret US abduction of a suspected terrorist from his Middle East homeland leads to a wave of terrorist attacks in New York. An FBI senior agent and his team attempt to locate and decommission the enemy cells, but must also deal with an Army General gone rogue and a female CIA agent of uncertain loyalties.

Executive Action

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Thriller · 1973

Rogue intelligence agents, right-wing politicians, greedy capitalists, and free-lance assassins plot and carry out the JFK assassination in this speculative agitprop.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Kathryn Bigelow

Written by

Mark Boal

Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain

Maya

Jason Clarke

Jason Clarke

Dan

Joel Edgerton

Joel Edgerton

Patrick - Squadron Team Leader

Jennifer Ehle

Jennifer Ehle

Jessica

Mark Strong

Mark Strong

George

Kyle Chandler

Kyle Chandler

Joseph Bradley

Edgar Ramírez

Edgar Ramírez

Larry from Ground Branch

Court is in session

Put Zero Dark Thirty 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.