The Hunt is on… 

With a title meaning “30 minutes past midnight”, Zero Dark Thirty retells the well-known events of the greatest Manhunt in history – Osama Bin Laden. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), the film covers when Bin Laden claimed to be behind the tragedy of 9/11. The US government, including young agent, Maya (Jessica Chastain) along with Dan (Jason Clarke) have to work quickly to pursue one of the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists.

The closest benchmark I can pinpoint is Homeland. Chances are if this programme is your forte, you will love Zero Dark Thirty, and if you love Claire Danes, you will be likewise blown away at Jessica Chastain. Chastain holds all the attributes that make an action thriller become quite touching. She portrays a detached woman, sometimes fearful, but nevertheless, hard-working. Jason Clarke and Joel Edgerton also do a very convincing job. Though, their roles are somewhat minimal when compared to that of Chastain’s. However, if there ever was a film to drop the “f bomb” every five seconds, this is the one. The film also contains a lot of violence, if you haven’t already figured that out. Then there exists the controversy that becomes a thin line between fact and fiction. By claiming to have the film based on reliable sources, we are lead to believe that the US government endorses torture as an enhanced interrogation technique.

To conclude, Zero Dark Thirty is a captivating, slick depiction of the process of finding one of the most famous fugitives in the face of the earth. The film succeeds on a high level in all areas – the noteworthy performances, dusty texture, technical department and cinematography. Raw human emotion is displayed exceedingly well throughout; even through the most nail-biting sequences. Convincingly real, this absorbing film leaves the viewer hanging on the edge of their seat, even though they already know how it all ends.