Mosul

"This is a wholly Iraqi story about a wholly Iraqi tragedy put together by an American filmmaker, which is definitely a risky move, but Matthew Michael Carnahan has done a solid job that appears to be respectful and non-exploitative. While there are definitely some war film tropes used in Mosul, there’s also a lot of originality in it, too. Kawa’s story arc might be obvious from the get-go, but the pace in which it’s achieved and its relative insignificance to the film’s major themes certainly are not. A tense segment where the SWAT team encounters an Iranian militia is especially interesting, too."

""Mosul" often feels like "Call of Duty" interrupted by the occasional call to prayer."

"Precious few moments of "Mosul" leave the aftertaste of a recruitment film."

"Favors a sense of you-are-there authenticity over any kind of deeper characterization or geopolitical context. The result is generically gripping but ultimately not something that lingers."

"Balances admirable ambition (it's an American film, but the characters speak Arabic) with the cruder goosing strategies and red-meat dialogue of a revenge picture."