“Discover the Gripping True Story Behind the Oscar-Winning War Film That Will Leave You Breathless!”

War films—ah, a genre that has gifted us some truly iconic moments, right? Just think about it: from “Saving Private Ryan” with its heart-wrenching realism, to the chilling tension of “Dunkirk,” we’ve got a ton of cinematic treasures to choose from. But here’s a little nugget for your streaming queue: have you heard about the film that’s currently free to watch and has been hailed as a must-see by many? I’m talking about the Oscar-winning powerhouse, “The Hurt Locker.” Released in 2008 and directed by the brilliant Kathryn Bigelow, this nail-biting film stars Jeremy Renner, Ralph Fiennes, and Anthony Mackie, and takes a riveting look at the experiences of a bomb squad during the Iraq War. Based on real-life events and the poignant observations of journalist Mark Boal, who embedded with troops, it’s a gripping ride that you simply can’t miss! You can now catch this gem on BBC iPlayer. Go ahead—click below to dive deeper into its world! LEARN MORE.

When it comes to war movies, there is a decent list of absolute stand-outs with the likes of Saving Private Ryan, Darkest Hour and Dunkirk being among people’s favourites.

And there’s one film in particular that’s been made free to stream which is tipped as one of the best by many.

The Oscar-winning war movie came out back in 2008 and features heart-stopping moments that happened in real life.

It stars the likes of Jeremy Renner, Ralph Fiennes and Anthony Mackie and was directed by Kathryn Bigelow.

Following an Iraq War Explosive Ordnance Disposal, the film – called The Hurt Locker – was written by Mark Boal, a journalist who was embedded with troops and bomb squads during the war in 2004.

While it is about a fictional set of characters and events, it is very much based on the interviews he did and things he saw while in Iraq.

Previously appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience, Boal explained to Joe Rogan how he ‘had seen some of what’s depicted in the film’.

The Hurt Locker picked up a number of Oscars (Voltage Pictures)

“That’s how I had witnessed the bomb squad going out and defusing bombs and then I wrote an article about it,” he explained. “And then the idea came along for a screenplay.”

The Hurt Locker went on to win six Oscars but did face criticism from some veterans who claimed the depiction of Iraq War combat was inaccurate.

Boal responded to backlash by saying the ‘movie is not a documentary’.

He added to Rogan that in writing the film he was trying ‘to replicate the experience’ he had felt when he was out there.

The host praised a particular scene later in the film when a sergeant returns from war and is ‘overwhelmed by the commercialism of the supermarket’.

Boal wrote The Hurt Locker after spending time in Iraq (Voltage Pictures)

“It was such a good representation of what these guys have to go through,” Rogan said.

Boal explained: “That actual thing had happened to me coming back. I felt this sense of dislocation and I was only there for a couple of weeks.

“But I felt this sense of how surreally grotesque certain parts of our wealth are after you see this poverty and you see the hardship of the war.”

He explained it was one of the ‘rare things’ in the film that he didn’t get from reporting.

“And it actually turned out to be one of the things that translated the most to other people,” Boal added.

Despite criticism, The Hurt Locker is widely regarded as one of the greatest war films and has a whopping 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer, with viewers calling it a ‘must-watch’.

You can now stream the film on BBC iPlayer.