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Zero Dark Thirty
2012 157 min United States of America R 16+
★8.2
Thriller, Drama
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Trailers
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Description
A chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May, 2011.
Budget:
$40M
US Gross:
$95.72M
Worldwide:
$132.8M
Starring
Jessica Chastain
Actor
Joel Edgerton
Actor
Chris Pratt
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 2013
— Best Sound Editing
Golden Globe 2013
— Best Actress (Drama)
Golden Globe 2013
— Best Director
Academy Awards 2013
— Best Sound Editing
BAFTA 2013
— Best Actress
Saturn Awards 2013
— Best Actress
Saturn Awards 2013
— Best Horror/Thriller Film
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2013
— Best Actress
Academy Awards 2013
— Best Screenplay
Academy Awards 2013
— Best Film Editing
Academy Awards 2013
— Best Picture
Academy Awards 2013
— Best Actress
Golden Globe 2013
— Best Picture (Drama)
Golden Globe 2013
— Best Actress (Drama)
BAFTA 2013
— Best Picture
MTV Movie & TV Awards 2013
— Most Frightened Performance
BAFTA 2013
— Best Director
BAFTA 2013
— Best Original Screenplay
Key opinion
Zero Dark Thirty is widely recognized for its technical precision and meticulous, documentary-style approach to depicting the decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden. However, audiences are sharply divided over its clinical execution, with critics praising the commitment to realism while detractors find the film emotionally detached, poorly paced, and lacking in character development.
| Ending | The final thirty-minute raid sequence is a masterful, breathtaking display of tension and technical filmmaking. | |
| Direction | Kathryn Bigelow’s direction maintains a high level of factual accuracy and a serious, grounded tone throughout the operation. | |
| Runtime | The film’s nearly three-hour runtime is a point of contention; some appreciate the commitment to a slow-burn, realistic procedural, while others find it tedious and lacking in narrative momentum. | |
| Acting | Jessica Chastain’s performance as Maya divides viewers between those who see a resolute, restrained portrayal of professional obsession and those who find the character robotic and devoid of emotional depth. | |
| Screenplay | The script is criticized for failing to provide meaningful character arcs or emotional resonance, resulting in a narrative that feels like a dry accumulation of bureaucratic events. |