It’s being called one of the best modern war films of all time (Image: 101 Studios/Netflix)
Black Hawk Down and The Hurt Locker are broadly regarded as the finest modern warfare films ever made, and now a virtually unknown movie is emerging as a formidable rival to both.
Currently streaming on Netflix, viewers are hailing this hidden gem as the ‘best war film since Black Hawk Down and The Hurt Locker’ — and that’s an extraordinarily lofty accolade.
The 2019 Arabic-language war film, Mosul, is being celebrated as a ‘masterpiece’ by audiences left stunned by just how ‘astoundingly real’ the movie feels.
Written and directed by Matthew Michael Carnahan, the film draws on true events from the Battle of Mosul in 2016, which saw Iraqi government forces and coalition allies ultimately defeat ISIS and reclaim the city from the Islamic State, who had held control since June 2014.
Mosul made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in 2019 before landing on Netflix in November 2020. The film features Suhail Dabbach in the leading role — whose performance has drawn widespread acclaim — alongside Is’haq Elias, Hayat Kamille, Thaer Al-Shayei, Adam Bessa, Ahmad Elghanem, and Waleed Elgadi, reports Wales Online.
Audiences can’t get over how ‘astoundingly real’ the war drama is (Image: 101 Studios/Netflix)
Mosul drew its inspiration from Luke Mogelson’s piece published in The New Yorker in January 2017, entitled ‘The Desperate Battle to Destroy ISIS’.
The ‘riveting’ war film was shot on location in Marrakesh, Morocco, and its official synopsis 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 heaped praise upon 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.”
Meanwhile, another reviewer applauded the director and cast’s performances: “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 ‘exceptional’ war film is based on true events from 2016 (Image: 101 Studios/Netflix)
A third critic said: “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 contain their enthusiasm for the film’s excellence, with one viewer saying: “The BEST war movie since Black hawk down! Amazing! Authentic and a true story!”
Another audience review mirrored this 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.”
One review reads: “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.”
The hidden gem has garnered glowing praise from all quarters (Image: 101 Studios/Netflix)
While another fan wrote: “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.”
One viewer drew comparisons with another celebrated war epic: “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.”
Yet another viewer was left astounded by the film’s authenticity: “A movie so engaging that it’s hard to believe there’s a film crew there with lights and cameras. Astoundingly real.”
One viewer simply 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.