Movie · 2013 · Documentary, Drama, Crime · 1h 27m · NR · English
Curator score: 6.0/10 (13.2K ratings)
A secret army. A war without end. A journalist determined to uncover the truth.
Overview
Investigative journalist, Jeremy Scahill is pulled into an unexpected journey as he chases down the hidden truth behind America's expanding covert wars, and examines how the US government has responded to international terrorist threats in ways that seem to go against the established laws of the land.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.0/10
IMDb: 7.4/10
Letterboxd: 3.54/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
Metacritic: 76
TMDB: 7.0/10
Director
Rick Rowley
Production
Civic Bakery, Big Noise Films, Doc Society
Cast
Jeremy Scahill, Nasser Al Aulaqi, Saleha Al Aulaqi, Muqbal Al Kazemi, Abdul Rahman Barman, Saleh Bin Fareed
Where to watch
AMC+, Philo, Sundance Now
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp, unsettling investigative documentary that turns covert U.S. counterterror operations into a clear, urgent story. It can feel a bit journalist-centered at times, but the reporting, access, and moral weight make it compelling and hard to shake.
Best for
viewers interested in investigative journalism
people drawn to post-9/11 geopolitics and covert warfare
fans of politically charged documentaries
audiences who like sober, fact-driven exposés
Skip if
you want a neutral or apolitical viewing experience
you dislike documentaries with a strong narrator/reporter presence
you prefer fast-paced entertainment over policy and war analysis
you are looking for a purely cinematic, character-driven drama
Overview
Dirty Wars is built like a newsroom thriller, but its subject is far more disturbing than fiction. It follows Jeremy Scahill as he traces a web of covert military operations, drone strikes, and hidden chains of command that challenge the official story of the war on terror.
Worth noting
The film is strongest when it stays focused on the evidence and the human cost. Its interviews, field reporting, and accumulation of detail create a steady sense of dread, and the documentary’s clarity makes complicated policy feel legible without flattening it.
Bottom line
At times, the film leans a little too hard on Scahill as the central figure, but that’s a minor flaw in a work that is otherwise disciplined and alarming. It’s not just informative; it leaves you with the uneasy feeling that the unseen machinery of war is much larger than most people are willing to admit.
Top Letterboxd reviews
🐱Andrew Chrzanowski🐱 (4★) · 32 likes
☆"Like so much of this war, it would have remained unseen."☆
A documentary exposé from nearly a decade ago doesn't seem too timely, but recall I was in jail in 2013 and 2014 so I kinda missed my chance to see it back then. Forgive me. Better late than never.
Documentarian and cinematographer Rick Rowley earned an Oscar nomination for Dirty Wars, but since then has remained humble with multiple films for Showtime and PBS' Frontline series. (A new one… more
Lise (4★) · 28 likes
At the beginning of this documentary I was very concerned that its real title should have been: "Watch Journalist Jeremy Scahill as he goes around making a documentary about himself doing his job". I hate that crap. At times this doc came close to fully warranting that title, but it always backed off just in time. In the end I found it informative but more important it had me asking questions, which is always a good thing, but my questions… more At the beginning of this documentary I was very concerned that its real title should have been: "Watch Journalist Jeremy Scahill as he goes around making a documentary about himself doing his job". I hate that crap. At times this doc came close to fully warranting that title, but it always backed off just in time. In the end I found it informative but more important it had me asking questions, which is always a good thing, but my questions… more
Rod Sedgwick (4★) · 23 likes
''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!
Scott Anderson (4★) · 16 likes
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… more 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… more
Daniel Kibbe (4★) · 13 likes
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… more
2007 · Documentary · 1h 42m · NR · Curator 8.3/10 (11.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A clear-eyed account of the Iraq War’s failures and the gap between official narratives and reality.
Topics
political documentary, investigative reporting, war on terror, covert operations, drone strikes, civilian casualties, state secrecy, geopolitical thriller, post-9/11, human rights