Kathryn Bigelow directs Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty in this Iraq war movie following a military bomb disposal unit with an unstable new sergeant.

Easily the best movie set in the second invasion of Iraq. The heat, dust and volatility of the occupation is immersive. Nobody does death wish intensity quite like Bigelow. She is one of my favourite directors based on the purity of her action filmography. More pessimistic than Cameron, grittier than a McTiernan, more poker faced than a Verhoeven. The first hour of this is take no prisoners set piece after set piece. The marathon sniper stand-off in the desert is as dangerous and as gripping as a sequence of peril can get. Do we get any further into the three protagonists mindset than war is bad / sad / pointless but addictive? No. But ultimately there isn’t much more to say about violence than it mutilates humans inside and out. For my money, one of the most entertaining 21st century Best Picture winners.

9

Perfect Double Bill: Three Kings (1999)