Zero Dark Thirty

[Zero Dark Thirty] is one of the great cinematic procedurals ever made.

When it comes to establishing and maintaining tension, there wasn't a better American genre picture released this year. Refrain from viewing it as historical record and you won't leave disappointed.

... it is Chastain's performance, as restrained as it is powerful, that may just be the cherry atop this massive and meticulous film.

This doesn't zip along in the manner of typical Hollywood entertainment but it's memorable cinema with a finale that will stay with you long after viewing.

A great American film: complicated, nuanced, searching, piercing, difficult - and yet thrilling and satisfying all the same.

Zero Dark Thirty is a magnificent movie, if we ignore the moral ambiguities. But can we?

Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal may have meant well but make no mistake that Zero Dark Thirty cannot be viewed in the same light after the torture report's release in 2014.

From its audio-led touching on the events of September 11 to Alexandre Desplat's understated, but evocative and effective score, Zero Dark also impresses aurally...

Without resorting to polarizing tactics such as overt theatrics or cold documentary reenactment, it represents a clever balance of emotion and catharsis.

It’s a movie that’s not afraid of asking tough questions or of challenging popular sentiments. It’s also a movie made with impeccable filmmaking style and skill which all comes back to Bigelow.