Zero Dark Thirty

Year: 2012
Genre: Thriller, drama
Director: Kathryn Bigelow


Plot: The true account of the 10 year manhunt for Osama bin Laden, from the 9/11 attacks to his death at the hands of SEAL Team 6 in 2011.


The gist: Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal present a slightly fictionalised but mostly true account of the events that led to Osama bin Laden's death, from the September 11 attacks to his death in May 2011.

What Bigelow and Boal show to us are intelligence activities carried out by the CIA to procure information as to Osama's whereabouts, which includes torture interrogation, top secret meetings and the like, while in between we bear witness to the various terrorist attacks around the globe.

The person at the centre of these activities is Maya, a young but brilliant CIA officer who digs up all sorts of information to find informants that either know Osama or know his whereabouts. However she has problems convincing her superiors that whatever information she gets is reliable, due to the fact that most of them are based on her opinions and not backed up with solid facts.

As we all know, eventually they get Osama in a well protected house in Pakistan, in a well shot sequence that although looks rather dark, feels authentic.


The good: Jessica Chastain puts in an excellent performance as Maya, who has to do whatever it takes, from attending uncomfortable interrogation sessions to fighting her superiors in order to see the mission to its end. Jason Clarke, Jennifer Ehle, Joel Edgerton, Kyle Chandler and the late James Gandolfini also provide solid work as the supporting cast. Kudos also to the technical crew for making the entire film seem real. Production design and cinematography, and music too are all on point.

The bad: The film seems too long at times, as Bigelow tries too hard too include a lot of information, some of which may seem too difficult for the general viewer to follow or understand.


Verdict: It's a solid true story film, which might not be everyone's cup of tea. But all the same, I'd say it's worth checking out. (3.5/5)