‘Masterpiece’ war movie with ‘disturbing moments’ | Films | Entertainment

Cinema enthusiasts have precious little time to catch ‘one of the best war movies of the century’ on Netflix, as the platform prepares to pull the title from its service.

As the glittering excitement from the latest Oscars ceremony begins to fade, audiences may wish to revisit the winners and nominees from Academy Awards gone by. Firmly amongst that category sits the 2012 release Zero Dark Thirty.

It served as the follow-up to the Best Director, Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay-winning The Hurt Locker, from director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal.

According to its synopsis, the film presents a fictionalised account rooted in real events. The story begins in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Sept.

11, 2001, when Osama bin Laden becomes one of the most-wanted men on the planet, reports the Mirror.

The global manhunt for the terrorist leader consumes the resources and attention of two U.S. presidential administrations. Ultimately, it is the tireless efforts of a determined female operative, portrayed in the film by Jessica Chastain, that proves pivotal in finally tracking down bin Laden.

The cast is further bolstered by outstanding supporting performances from the likes of Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Kyle Chandler, James Gandolfini, Chris Pratt, and Succession’s Jeremy Strong. Whilst Zero Dark Thirty did not replicate the award-winning success of Bigelow’s previous project, it remains highly regarded amongst critics and audiences alike.

This is in spite of a number of controversies surrounding it. However, if you have yet to watch it, or wish to revisit it once more, time is rapidly running out.

Whilst it remains available on Netflix, the platform currently indicates that the final day to watch it on the service is April 11. One critic for the website Collider described the 91% rated film as ‘one of the best war movies of the century’.

They also claimed: “Zero Dark Thirty is not a war movie in the comfort watch sense. It is a 157-minute pressure cooker about intelligence work, obsession, moral compromise, and how victories are paid for in private…it continues to spark debate years later. That friction, arguably, is part of the film’s staying power because it rejects a tidier catharsis.”

Fans are equally effusive in their praise as they voice their opinions online. One person remarked: “No idea how this didn’t win the Best Picture Oscar. The best advert I can give it is that it stands the test of time.”

Another added: “It’s awesome. Better than I thought it would be. The last 50 minutes or so is an edge of the seat thrill ride.”

Nevertheless, some note the controversies attached to it, including its portrayal and depiction of torture as a constructive tool, whilst it was further criticised for incorporating actual recordings of 9/11 victims. One viewer observed there are “many disturbing moments throughout where it can become unbearable to watch, especially its depictions of torture, which are gruesomely realistic”.

However, someone else proposed: “It’s an entertaining piece of art that serves as a dramatic and emotional masterpiece, and one of the best films to come out of the 2010s”.

Zero Dark Thirty is streaming on Netflix until April 12.

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