Viewers are calling this modern war hidden gem on Netflix the ‘best war film since Black Hawk Down and The Hurt Locker’ — and that’s some seriously weighty praise.
Black Hawk Down and The Hurt Locker are widely considered to be the best modern warfare movies made, and now, there’s a virtually unheard of film which is giving them stiff competition.
Streaming now on Netflix, viewers are calling this hidden gem the ‘best war film since Black Hawk Down and The Hurt Locker’ — and that’s some seriously weighty praise.
The 2019 Arabic-language war film, Mosul, is being hailed as a ‘masterpiece’ by audiences who can’t get over how ‘astoundingly real’ the movie is.
Written and directed by Matthew Michael Carnahan, the film is based on true events from the Battle of Mosul in 2016 which saw Iraqi government forces and coalition allies finally defeat ISIS and retake the city from the Islamic State who had been in control since June 2014.
Audiences can’t get over how ‘astoundingly real’ the war drama is(Image: 101 Studios/Netflix)
Mosul first premiered at the Venice Film festival in 2019 and was subsequently released on Netflix in November 2020. The film stars Suhail Dabbach in the lead — who has been highly lauded for his performance — alongside Is’haq Elias, Hayat Kamille, Thaer Al-Shayei, Adam Bessa, Ahmad Elghanem, and Waleed Elgadi.
Mosul was inspired by Luke Mogelson’s article published in The New Yorker in January 2017 titled ‘The Desperate Battle to Destroy ISIS’.
The ‘riveting’ war film was filmed in Marrakesh, Morocco, and its official plot states: “After being rescued by an Iraqi SWAT team from an assault by insurgents, a policeman joins the team and is thrown into a world of secrecy and ceaseless, fierce fighting.”
Critics have been filled with praise for the war drama, with one writing: “Mosul is a well-made action film with an important message and a lot of heart, a combination seen all too rarely these days.”
While another reviewer lauded the director and cast’s performance: “Matthew Michael Carnahan makes a stellar directorial debut with Mosul, a hard-hitting, must-see movie which sees star Suhail Dabbach deliver an Oscar-worthy performance which it would be a crime to overlook.”
The hidden gem has garnered glowing praise from all quarters(Image: 101 Studios/Netflix)
A third critic shared: “Mosul isn’t the kind of easy, sentimental TV viewing often provided during the holidays, but it is a potent reminder of the deadly struggles and sacrifices some people have endured to earn their freedom.”
Audiences cannot get over the excellence of the film, with one viewer saying: “The BEST war movie since Black hawk down! Amazing! Authentic and a true story!”
Another audience review echoed the sentiment, and comparison, on IMDB: “The best movie about urban warfare, post Black Hawk Down. Set in the city of Mosul, this is a superb thriller that pits a squad of Syrian SWAT soldiers against Daesh or ISIS, in the last days of Islamic State.
“The action is non- stop and is punctuated with solid story telling. It is a hidden gem on Netflix and would be loved by all action / thriller / war movie buffs out there. Highly recommended.”
The ‘exceptional’ war film is based on true events from 2016(Image: 101 Studios/Netflix)
While one review says: “Better than most big budget films. Bottom line the movie has depth to it that is more than its great acting it’s a must watch! I would say this is on par with lone survivor, American sniper, and the outpost. It is very original. This is true cinematography, it tells an amazing story.”
Another fan added: “One of the best war action thrillers in last few years. Mosul is one of the more memorable war movies i saw in last few years. Its brutal, bloody, very realistic and intense action war thriller. Not to be missed.”
While one fan compared it to another war masterpiece: “Wow. Wow. Wow. I cannot say enough good things about this movie. What a powerful movie. The fight scenes are better than in Saving Private Ryan.”
Another couldn’t get over how authentic the film was: “A movie so engaging that it’s hard to believe there’s a film crew there with lights & cameras. Astoundingly real.”
One viewer simple said: “Absolutely riveting film. There are few films I’d say were “must-see”; this is one of them.”
Mosul is available to stream on Netflix.