Friday Film Noir
Zero Dark Thirty (2012) is a political thriller directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal. The film chronicles the decade-long international manhunt for Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden following the September 11 attacks, focusing on Maya (Jessica Chastain), a dedicated CIA analyst whose persistent intelligence gathering ultimately leads special operations forces to his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
U.S. political figures criticized the film for implying that torture tactics yielded key breakthroughs when official records show the intelligence pinpointing bin Laden's location came from traditional methods. Screenwriter Mark Boal gained unprecedented access to top-level officials, prompting a Pentagon investigation into unauthorized leaks. Originally focused on the 2001 battle of Tora Bora, the script underwent a complete rewrite following the 2011 raid.
2012 • R • 2h 37m
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Holy Unknown Grade: A
Worldwide Gross: 132M
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