Zero Dark Thirty
Rated: R
Genre: Drama
Street Date: March 19, 2013
Available On: DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo

The Film: The events leading up to the assassination of Osama bin Laden.

The Extras: “No Small Feat,” “The Compound,” “Geared Up” and “Targeting Jessica Chastain” Featurettes

Recommendation: ”Zero Dark Thirty” was hands down the best film of 2012. Mark Boal’s script is razor sharp, the performances from Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke and Joel Egerton are phenomenal, Kathryn Bigelow’s direction is precise and Jeremy Hindle’s production design is flawless. It was also the most talked-about and often vilified film of 2012 because of its portrayal of “enhanced interrogation.” There were those that suggested that the film glorified torture. It’s my opinion that it doesn’t. What the film does do is show that hunting down people, even terrorists, is a complicated and often ethically challenging endeavor and that hunting a human requires you to give up some of your humanity.

Sony’s Blu-ray release of “Zero Dark Thirty” is impressive. The image is crisp and shows a great amount of detail and color and the audio is immersive. Where the package stumbles in the slim bonus features. There is an upcoming HBO documentary called “Manhunt” that would have made for a perfect companion. The documentary on its own isn’t great, but paired with “Zero Dark Thirty” it answers many of the questions about the veracity of the film. The bonus features that are included focus on the preparation and attention to detail that went into making the film. An audio commentary from experts or high-ranking officials would have been nice, but its probably much too soon for that.

-Ryan Michael Painter