Dirty Wars
An investigative journalist traces a deadly Afghan raid into a worldwide system of secret American killings and unaccountable military power.
Overview
A gripping exploration of the dark side of modern warfare and the hidden truths behind U.S. military operations.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- urgent
- paranoid
- disturbing
- political discussion
- documentary night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the documentary compelling and politically urgent, praising its investigative force while noting that its stylized methods and focus on Scahill can distract from its wider argument.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jeremy Scahill begins with a deadly Afghanistan night raid and expands the reporting into a global inquiry into JSOC.
The documentary uses clues, closed doors, threats, and secret targeting processes to give investigative journalism the shape of a conspiracy thriller.
Its central subject is the covert use of kill lists, special operations, and targeted assassination without public accountability.
Scahill's reporting, travel, interviews, and persistence provide the film's continuous experiential viewpoint.
Films like Dirty Wars, and why
The Act of Killing
investigative documentary structure, covert military operations, and scrutiny of state power
Citizenfour
political documentary filmmaking focused on government secrecy, surveillance, and civil liberties
The Fog of War
journalistic investigation into American foreign policy and clandestine state violence
No End in Sight
urgent nonfiction examination of institutional power, military policy, and contested official narratives
Movie Details
- Director
- Rick Rowley
- Release Date
- 2013-01-18
- Runtime
- 87 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (158)
Cast
- Jeremy Scahill
- Nasser Al Aulaqi
- Saleha Al Aulaqi
- Muqbal Al Kazemi
- Abdul Rahman Barman
- Saleh Bin Fareed
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Dirty Wars about?
- An investigative journalist traces a deadly Afghan raid into a worldwide system of secret American killings and unaccountable military power.
- What is Dirty Wars like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dirty Wars as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Dirty Wars violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Dirty Wars as graphic.
- What did critics think of Dirty Wars?
- Critics broadly found the documentary compelling and politically urgent, praising its investigative force while noting that its stylized methods and focus on Scahill can distract from its wider argument.
- Which films are like Dirty Wars?
- Films with a similar feel include The Act of Killing, Citizenfour, The Fog of War, and No End in Sight.
- How long is Dirty Wars?
- Dirty Wars runs 87 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dirty Wars?
- In United States, Dirty Wars streams on Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now.
