Overview
A gripping portrayal of courage and sacrifice in the face of terror.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- tense
- visceral
- grim
- serious movie night
- war film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Mosul for balancing forceful, familiar war-movie action with a fresh Iraqi perspective and humane characterization.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Nineveh SWAT consists of local Iraqi men fighting ISIS in Mosul, and the film foregrounds their personal stakes.
The Nineveh SWAT has been reduced to about a dozen men with three Humvees while continuing operations against ISIS strongholds.
Kawa joins the unit after his uncle is killed, while other members have been injured or lost family to ISIS.
The film places its characters in Mosul's streets, firefights, rescues, and an ambush of an ISIS stronghold.
Films like Mosul, and why
The Hurt Locker
urban warfare, morally serious combat drama, and emphasis on soldiers' personal motivations
Black Hawk Down
intense military action, grounded battlefield realism, and a small unit under sustained pressure
Beasts of No Nation
war-zone suspense, local perspectives, and humane attention to civilians amid armed conflict
American Sniper
politically charged modern warfare, ensemble combat dynamics, and visceral action filmmaking
Movie Details
- Director
- Matthew Michael Carnahan
- Release Date
- 2019-09-04
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (362)
Cast
- Suhail Dabbach
- Adam Bessa
- Is'haq Elias
- Waleed Elgadi
- Hayat Kamille
- Mohimen Mahbuba
- Thaer Al-Shayei
- Ben Affan
- Qutaiba Abdelhaq
- Abbas Abdulghani
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Mosul about?
- A young Iraqi police officer joins Mosul’s battered Nineveh SWAT and discovers the personal cost of reclaiming a city from ISIS.
- What is Mosul like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Mosul as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Mosul violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Mosul as graphic.
- What did critics think of Mosul?
- Critics broadly praised Mosul for balancing forceful, familiar war-movie action with a fresh Iraqi perspective and humane characterization.
- Which films are like Mosul?
- Films with a similar feel include The Hurt Locker, Black Hawk Down, Beasts of No Nation, and American Sniper.
- How long is Mosul?
- Mosul runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch Mosul?
- In United States, Mosul streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
