Zero Dark Thirty, Kathryn Bigelow's followup to 2009 Oscar-winner The Hurt Locker, centres on the US Navy Seal unit that raided Osama bin Laden's compound in northern Pakistan last year.
The film was screened to US critics in New York and LA over the weekend – and early reactions suggest it could replicate the success of the director's last film.
Whether you call it well informed speculative history, docu-drama recreation or very stripped-down suspense film-making, Zero Dark Thirty matches form and content to pretty terrific ends. A long-arc account of the search for Osama bin Laden seen from the perspective of an almost insanely focused female CIA officer who never gives up the hunt until the prey ends up in a body bag.
Richard Corliss of Time magazine said:
In the tradition of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood and Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff, [screenwriter Mark] Boal tracked down the particulars of a sensational exploit and, skipping the "non-fiction novel" stage, created an original screenplay that provides a streamlined timeline of the hunt for Bin Laden. The word "docu-drama" doesn't hint at Boal's achievement. This is movie journalism that snaps and stings, that purifies a decade's clamour and clutter into narrative clarity, with a salutary kick.
Indiewire's Rodrigo Perez said:
While not as taut and lean as the more action-based The Hurt Locker, 'ZDT' is an electric, sprawling and ambitious effort that's easy to become absorbed by, and a picture that should impress those keen on the director's intelligent, composed and determined brand of film-making.
Meanwhile, some of those in preview screenings posted their thoughts on Twitter:
Just saw Zero Dark Thirty and a Q&A with the cast. Such a good move! They really did it right!
— Michael Lieberman (@MikeLieberman) November 26, 2012
If you loved Argo, it's either you'll love Zero Dark Thirty too or you'll hate it because it'll be waaaaaaaay better than Argo.
— Joshua Cristan Pusta (@ThePusta) November 26, 2012
Zero Dark Thirty is as clinical as it gets. I may be mixed overall but it has a hell of a build. Chastain is aces. Loved Jason Clarke.
— Kristopher Tapley (@kristapley) November 26, 2012
Honored to see screening of Zero Dark 30 with Kathryn Bigelow and the stars!instagr.am/p/Se0Q8zNzWR/
— E-Kan Soong (@MistaKan) November 26, 2012
Kathryn Bigelow is ballsy. We need more female filmmakers like her #ZeroDarkThirty
— Barnaby Barrilla (@BarnabyBarrilla) November 26, 2012
Just saw an advance screening of ZERO DARK THIRTY. #Awesome
— GATSBY CORAM (@gatsbycoram) November 26, 2012
Zero Dark Thirty. Wow!Honored to be one of the first to see it.
— Jorge Ortiz (@JorgeOrtizActor) November 26, 2012
Zero Dark Thirty was excellent.
— Jon Weisman (@jonweisman) November 26, 2012
#zerodarkthirty wow. Not to mention Bigelow just finished the film 4 days ago. #badass
— Jacquie Walters (@jacquiewalters) November 26, 2012
Great great Zero Dark Thirty. Great. Great. Great.
— Sasha Stone (@AwardsDaily) November 26, 2012
