Reviews

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  ★★★★ review by Rod Sedgwick on Letterboxd

  ''What happens to us when we finally see what is hidden in plain sight?''

  Am illuminating and simply terrifying exposé on the things unseen by the common man.

  Investigative Journalism at it's most riveting.

  This turns Lone Survivor on it's head.

  SEE IT NOW!

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  ★★★★ review by Daniel Kibbe on Letterboxd

  Not only is Dirty Wars an excellent piece of documentary filmmaking, it's also a fantastic and thorough piece of investigative journalism. It's gripping, and clearly states information that could easily be jumbled and impenetrable if it was handled the wrong way.

  The film involves investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill as he looks into a botched raid on a family home in Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths of 5 civilians, including 2 pregnant women. From there, he ventures to explore America's covert affairs in Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and Somalia; as he explores America's "war on terror" that is actually creating more terrorists than it's eliminating.

  The film presents itself without bias, only as an investigative piece; which is extremely refreshing. It relies on hard fact, and interviews with eyewitnesses, just how journalism should be. The result is eye-opening, as these facts and interviews provide views on subjects that are truly terrible and deserve to be exposed.

  In terms of sheer filmmaking, the film is very well made. The cinematography is especially impressive.

  Overall, this documentary should be required viewing. It's on Netflix Instant and iTunes, so you have no excuse. Watch it!

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  ★★★★ review by Scott Anderson on Letterboxd

  Jeremy Scahill is not charismatic enough to deliver the message of the film Dirty Wars on his own, as he is first and foremost an investigative journalist, a man who defines bravery as he heads into unthinkably dangerous territory in search of of exposing the lies and discovering the truths. Some may waiver from this material if they are in denial of the behind the scenes secrets of the United States military, the incredibly ruthless nature of our government to resort to senseless murder of innocent citizens on a regular basis with no end in sight. Some simply may not find this topic interesting or entertaining enough. In my world, Dirty Wars is essential viewing, the rare opportunity for us to gain access to previously locked doors, unleashing important, frightening information regarding the power and brutality of a nation that some with blinders on consider only to be fair and just.

  My one main issue with the film is that it actually could have used a bit more meat on its bones, running a mere 80ish minutes when the information being exposed was so fascinating I could have sat through a whole lot more and not gotten bored. Perhaps the material wouldn't have suitably filled much more time, but I find that hard to believe. With this kind of wealth of information, the more the merrier.

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  ★★★★½ review by navaneethks on Letterboxd

  This documentary should be at the top of your priority list to watch. Seriously, watch it now. It's on Netflix Instant and iTunes.

  Dirty Wars is a huge eye-opener for anyone who thinks that America is becoming a safer place every day, anyone who thinks the American military is a god-send for fighting the war on terrorism. Think again. All the war is doing is creating more pissed off people around the world, creating more hatred towards America and Dirty Wars will show you why.

  This documentary is remarkable and compelling, but not for the faint of heart. It's an essential viewing for every American out there, conservatives and liberals alike. It will make you angry, you might deny what is being exposed but this movie makes you wonder what we really know and what we don't. It makes you wonder- Are these American actions justified? The answer there is no. What is all this really about? Does the US have the right to go in anywhere, anytime around the world to strike? At the end of the day, how are we any different? Is there an end to it at all? These are all the question you will be pondering after witnessing the reality of war.

  You will never find this reporting in any major news media. This kind of investigative journalism is to be applauded. Scahill is brave and courageous for risking his life amidst war. This is by far the best documentary of the year.

  Grade: A

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  ★★★★ review by Bob R. on Letterboxd

  "Dirty Wars" stands as one of the earliest investigatory probes into the existence and purpose of JSOC - The Joint Special Operations Command which implements the United States' secret agenda in the name of the "War on Terror." There isn't a great deal of new information here that isn't already known to the informed viewer, however the subject is important enough that it should remain in the world-consciousness.

  This documentary had scads of terrific visuals and the story has an easy-to-follow reporting-style. It is narration-heavy, due doubtlessly to the number of interviews with non-english speaking contributors. The narrator's voice was not as distracting for me as much as the his appearing in seemingly every shot other than the sourced footage. Style aside, the story is an important one, worthy of knowing.

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