Zero Dark ThirtyMovie Reviews

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Avg. Critic Score: 95 out of 100 Universal acclaim Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
16 Iffy for 16+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 100
    Boston Globe | Ty Burr

    It's a movie made with the same coolly fanatical attention to craft the lead character displays in her work. Bigelow is now recognized as one of our true filmmaking naturals. Read full review

  • 100
    Wall Street Journal | Joe Morgenstern

    Judged solely as a film, a partially fictionalized account of the decade-long search for bin Laden, it's superbly crafted and relentlessly dramatic. More than that, though, Zero Dark Thirty is a shock to the system, one that's bound to incite discussion of profoundly troubling issues. Read full review

  • 100
    The Hollywood Reporter | Todd McCarthy

    The film's power steadily and relentlessly builds over its long course, to a point that is terrifically imposing and unshakable. Read full review

  • 100
    Philadelphia Inquirer | Steven Rea

    A monumental achievement that documents a coordinated and complicated response to a monumental tragedy. Read full review

  • 100
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    Once in a long while, a fresh-from-the-headlines movie - like "All the President's Men" or "United 93" - fuses journalism, procedural high drama, and the oxygenated atmosphere of a thriller into a new version of history written with lightning. Zero Dark Thirty, Kathryn Bigelow's meticulous and electrifying re-creation of the hunt for Osama bin Laden, is that kind of movie. Read full review

  • 100
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    Hang on tight. The knockout punch of the movie season is being delivered by Zero Dark Thirty. Read full review

  • 100
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    One of the most innovative and best made films of the past year. Every now and then, even Dick Cheney gets to like a great movie. Read full review

  • 90
    Movieline | Alison Willmore

    Zero Dark Thirty makes you feel every step of Maya's journey, but it's her impressive achievement and that of the film itself that we're left contemplating, not her humanity - a stunningly well-realized whole with few soft spots to latch onto. Read full review

  • 80
    New York Daily News | Joe Neumaier

    What finally sticks in the mind about "ZDT" is its precision. What the film says about getting information from terrorism suspects in an era of high-tech surveillance depends on your point of view. What is unquestionable is how powerful its full scope is. Read full review

  • 63
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    While this decade-long look at the inner workings of the CIA is intriguing, the movie would have benefited by more character development and additional editing. Read full review

View more reviews for Zero Dark Thirty on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 16+ Intelligent, uncompromising drama is violent and complex.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that Zero Dark Thirty is a combination war movie, thriller, and docudrama about the intense, years-long hunt for Osama bin Laden following the 9/11 attacks, from the filmmakers behind The Hurt Locker. Perhaps the movie's most controversial element is its depiction of "waterboarding" and torturing prisoners for information. The movie shows this process as simultaneously effective and repellent. Overall, violence is strong -- not just in the torture sequences, but also in various other gun/shooting sequences, with dead bodies and lots of blood. But because the violence encourages interpretation and isn't just gratuitous, older teens should be able to handle it within the movie's context as an intelligent, complex story that's sure to inspire passionate discussion. Language is strong, with uses of "f--k" and "s--t," as well as sexual innuendo and some partial, nonsexual nudity. Characters are often seen smoking cigarettes or drinking in a background way.
  • Families can talk about Zero Dark Thirty's violence. What's the impact of the torture scenes? How are they different from the climactic invasion sequence? From the opening depiction of 9/11? How does the movie challenge viewers to think about all these different forms of violence?
  • What keeps Maya doing this job -- hunting for little clues that may lead to Osama bin Laden -- for so many years? Is she a role model? Is she worth rooting for?
  • How can Zero Dark Thirty be labeled? How would you describe it to your friends? Is a movie that's difficult to label better than one that's easy to label?
The good stuff
  • message true0 Positive messages: The movie's messages are complicated (all the better to inspire in-depth discussions among grown-ups and older teens). At particular issue is some of the violence -- i.e. the use of torture. The movie approaches these difficult topics thoughtfully, allowing viewers to interpret them for themselves.
  • rolemodels true2 Positive role models: The main character is a tough, smart, persistent woman who spends years trying to achieve a nearly impossible goal and eventually accomplishes it. Yet that goal, and the methods she employs to achieve it, definitely dilute her heroism. But she's an enormously strong character with many shades of gray and well worth thinking about.
What to watch for
  • violence false4 Violence: Several scenes of torture and severe interrogation techniques, including "waterboarding" and humiliation (a man's pants are stripped off). Also one or two intense battle sequences with guns, shooting, dead bodies, and blood. Bombs are set off, with injuries and casualties. Frequent tension/peril. The main female character is involved in -- and sometimes the victim of -- several violent situations.
  • sex false3 Sexy stuff: Some male prisoners are stripped of their clothes, but nothing more than naked behinds are shown. One brief scene takes place in a nightclub with sexy dancing girls (not naked). A good deal of spoken sexual innuendo throughout.
  • language false4 Language: Very strong and quite frequent. Words include "f--k" and "motherf---er," "s--t," "a--hole," "ass," "bitch," "damn," "hell," and "d--k," plus "goddamn" and "oh my God."
  • consumerism false1 Consumerism: Coke and Budweiser brands are shown and/or mentioned.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false2 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Characters both major and minor are often shown smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol (beer, wine, etc.) in a background way.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Cast Interviews Exclusive Cast Interivew Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Jennifer Ehle and Kyle Chandler chat about the upcoming war thriller. The Frontrunners - Jessica Chastain Interview Fandango's Chief Correspondent Dave Karger interviews Jessica Chastain about her film 'Zero Dark Thirty' in this episode of 'The Frontrunners.' More Films on Fandango's Award Watch Valentine's Day Movies