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On June 10th, 2014 the terrorist organization ISIS seized control of the Iraqi city of Mosul. For two years they controlled it with an iron fist until it was retaken by the combined forces of the Iraqi government and people. With so much fighting, suffering, death and destruction how does one tell the story of Mosul and those who fought it? Writer and Director Dan Gabriel found a way by following journalist Ali Maula and his crew as the interview influential figures and follow them into battle in his documentary Mosul.

The film begins nice and slow, establishing Ali Maula and how Mosul had come under the control of ISIS. It doesn't take long for the film to grab your attention as it goes into visceral detail about how the innocent civilians suffered under ISIS. The stories the people tell are detailed and paint a terrible picture of the Hell they are forced to live in and the hate towards ISIS and hope they feel when the military comes through. However, Ali Maula takes an interesting angle in questioning whether or not many of the civilians re telling the truth. It is a sad thing to think but does show how much distrust and discord ISIS has sown into the country. The use of actual footage of the cruelty and violence make for a shocking and utterly disturbing watch. Gabriel doesn't pull any punches and though that does make the film hard to watch, it is not for the faint of heart, he does manage to make his point more poignant and memorable. The figures are offer a great insight into the events that surround the battle of Mosul. The most interesting of these figures are Um Hanadi and Captain Alaa. I found these two to be incredibly interesting and the stories of their who they were before the fighting and how they came to be the people they are. Hanadi is introduced early on and her stories are some of the strongest in the movie, how she took care of the soldiers under her command the people she saved as well as the harrowing missions she had to fight through and all she lost along the way. Captain Alaa's moments are by far the most harrowing as the crew follows him and his soldiers through actual battle. The footage of the war is truly incredible as the crew gets close to the chaos. The footage is energetic and exciting but nonetheless terrifying as the crew is in the thick of battle and destruction. Brave is an understatement for the crew had to go through to get their footage. With the stories, figures and the stories from civilians we are given a clear picture of the background and build up to the battle of Mosul. The runtime is short clocking in well under ninety minutes however this works in the film's favor. Not only does it still manage to perfectly fit in every story and bit of information, but the quick pace gives the film a sense of urgency and energy which makes the viewing direr and memorable.

Final Thoughts: It can be very difficult to watch, and it tends to be grim and macabre, but Mosul is a truly great documentary. The figures and civilians offer compelling and often disturbing stories and the crew manages to capture excellent shots of the war, the fact that they survived it is nothing short of a miracle. Mosul is a must watch and required viewing for all to understand what is happening in the world.

Verdict: 4.5/5

The stories the people tell are detailed and paint a terrible picture of the Hell they are forced to live in and the hate towards ISIS and hope they feel when the military comes through. However, Ali Maula takes an interesting angle in questioning whether or not many of the civilians re telling the truth. It is a sad thing to think but does show how much distrust and discord ISIS has sown into the country. The use of actual footage of the cruelty and violence make for a shocking and utterly disturbing watch. Gabriel doesn't pull any punches and though that does make the film hard to watch, it is not for the faint of heart, he does manage to make his point more poignant and memorable. The runtime is short clocking in well under ninety minutes - however this works in the film's favor. Not only does it still manage to perfectly fit in every story and bit of information, but the quick pace gives the film a sense of urgency and energy which makes the viewing direr and memorable.

It was a great look inside the lives of the people fighting to win their city back from ISIS militants. I highly recommend it!!

I didn't know what to expect when I started watching this. Being a self-confessed news junkie I like to think I know what is going on in the world. The story of the rise of ISIS and their so-called 'Caliphate' was something I had followed for a couple of years and found coverage of it to be gripping. The caliphate was never going to last especially with the military might of the US-led Coalition, Russia, Turkey and Iran railed against it. The movie reflects this confusing situation where many groups and factions who would normally be enemies come together to defeat a common enemy. Where 'Mosul' succeeded was in providing me with details about who was involved in the fight to liberate Iraq's second city from ISIS. The western news media didn't really go into much detail about the various groups in the fight - but this movie showed me that Iraqis of many colors came together to liberate the city. Christian militias, Shia militias, Iranian militias, Kurds etc were all together...but knowing that Iraq is pretty much a tinder box waiting to explode, the movie reflects that this reality and while providing hope for the future unity of Iraq, it also provides a warning that things could go wrong again. The footage is amazing - as is the access the film crew had. The combat footage is gripping and is made all the more tense by the soundtrack. If you want to learn more about the fight against ISIS, this is a must-see movie. It tells the Iraqi side of the story and is an honest and emotional portrayal of the fight to rid Iraq of the horror that was ISIS.

Mosul is at the top of my list for war films/documentaries, especially post-9/11 flicks. It is a brilliant combination of historical documentation and cinematic entertainment in one. The film is directed by a former CIA officer who knows the region inside and out - and it shows. It is the most accurate depiction I have seen of what really happened in Iraq.

I won't talking about the technical issues cause My problem with the contain which first of is that more than two-thirds of the film was focused on footage or operations, which is easy to call that it was acting , whether it was Hanadi or Captain Alaa, while in the real battle in the last part of the film was not taken Seriously, in addition to the lack of focus on the issue of refugees and most of the meetings were with people who did not convey the true picture of what was happening inside Mosul. Also I want to see more footage inside Mosul after liberation operation.

Mosul film takes you inside the city's battle for liberation from the perspective of an Iraqi journalist, in a way that's very intimate and engaging. You'll be wanting to stay longer with each of the featured characters, listening to their life stories, their sorrows, their misfortune, and their victories. You'll be in the midst of street battles (real footage) that'll have you on the edge of your seat, fearing for the lives of the character friends you just met. But most importantly, it shows the very recent history of a city ravaged by the terrorists' hate and the sectarian clashes that are still sadly alive to this day. It raises the question of tomorrow, a question the city of Mosul has yet to answer.

In 2014, ISIS takes over Mosul with little opposition. It's over two years later. Disparate forces join together to take on ISIS despite their sectarian conflict. Iraqi journalist Ali Maula is embedded with a militia. He interviews captured ISIS recruiter Nasser Issa, Um Hanadi (only female commander of a militia), Captain Alaa Atah, and Sunni Sheikh "The Crocodile" Saleh.

It' s a documentary. It's fine. There are some talking heads. They are interesting players in the conflict. In the end, I'm more interested in the fight. There is a small section in the end with some war action. It's a slice of the epic events in Iraq. It's not the whole thing. This is a companion piece.

This is a searing portrait of some of the people behind the liberation of Mosul from the Islamic State. Particularly memorable is Um Hanadi the female leader of an all-male militia, who wishes to fight to honor her dead relatives. We see communities engulfed in thick, black smoke, and we see children who live in squalor and desperation. It isn't easy to watch, but the world needs to see it.

This 'doco' contains some thrilling/horrific footage and that is about all it offers. The narration is probably what put me right off this thing. It is supposed to be done by a journalist who is meant to help us make sense of what is going on. Instead, he is cynical about everything without telling us why, sounding more and more like an amateur poet (very cringe). An un-illuminating and confusing production.

Like the review title states: "Great filming that documents the horror suffered at the hands of Daesh, but pretty hairbrained commentary by the filmmaker".

There are numerous examples of the "hairbrained commentary" throughout the film. The underlying issue with the filmmaker's shoddy logic is that he works from a faulty assumption, which is basically this 'since there are many different sects (actors and groups each with their own motivation), then he really can't trust that anything anyone tells him is true'. He admits this, in a roundabout way, at the beginning of the film.

One example of this is his interview of the teenage boy at the refugee camp who tells him his first-hand horror story of being under Daesh rule: if you weren't inside the mosque during prayer times you could be murdered for it, or if you didn't grow a full beard you could be beaten and whipped. I mean, you can clearly see the teen crying when he's describing what he experienced, but then the filmmaker says "but I really don't know if what he's saying is true". Really? I understand that yes, it's possible for people to make up stories, but when you have a refugee camp full of people who give account after account of rape, torture, and murder, anyone with half a brain would understand, rather quickly one would think, you would stop operating under the assumption that 'sounds horrible, but who knows, this could all be made up?' Which is exactly what he does after interviewing the teenage boy. Here's an idea - if you're not sure if this boy is telling the truth, go interview another dozen or so people his age, who are unrelated and don't know one another, and see if you hear similar accounts? I mean, I'm not a journalist or filmmaker, but this is kinda basic - especially if you're a journalist (that's right, confirmation from multiple sources).

I could provide a dozen or so examples of this throughout the film, but don't want to put anymore time or energy into thinking through the basics how you confirm the likely true accounts from the false ones (and if you don't know how to do that, I'm not even sure how you can be a journalist or documentarian).

At any rate, would have been a much better film if the filmmaker would have had someone to consult him and correct him on his muddled thinking throughout his commentary, which is why I gave it a six star rating.

I won't make many new friends with this review...

I understand how many of you want to love this film for its honesty and gripping gun battles but taking you to a one dimensional emotional peak isn't deep story telling. Real life events so recent in many survivors minds shouldn't be for the pleasures of a western audience.

If something with the title Mosul was to be attempted from a proper perspective the flood of refugees and the problems created in the region had to be told. The political context needed some exposition. The ideology of the enemy needed to inform the discretion of the viewer. And so many other sub-plots during the reign of ISIS. Viewers instead are unfairly giving this a 10 for the heart wrenching loss of life and emotional anguish.

American contributions and losses are overlooked entirely and that's ok if it is a story about Iraqi factions coming together but a stylized attrition of the team as they got gunned down and a better researched ending as to who made it out might have worked better.

I keep hearing the word documentary, its no such thing if so many components of the story, region, time, people are missing - its the POV view of one team of ex police through the lens of a journalist.

A great tragedy when unknown and forgotten people die over a desolate wasteland. This story should be told again, another way.

Still worth watching.

When you see the battle of Mosul up close you will feel the greatness of Iraq and the real Iraqi security forces and the sacrifices of the brave Iraqi people and how bad ISIS cowards and traitors.

Everyone who has listened to the fake news in America, should watch this and hear first hand what is really going on in Iraq.

Incredible. First time watching a war zone documentary. The soundtrack was amazing. The footage is.. too real. Siting on my couch, it felt like I was there. I am most interested in culture, so I found the stories told between the different Iraqi ethnic groups to be especially insightful. (Make sure to turn on subtitles!).

I hated the part with iranian crew Cause they never fight and stuff & they are friendly I dont know why they did it like that which was fake but still it was a good movie But pls if you wanna create a movie go with real things not by making it up yourself:/

This is a phony docudrama that uses obvious script lines and reenactments that claim to be real fighting. Anyone with common sense or who have been in actual combat would see right through it. It's also very boring and much of the subtitles scroll too fast to read or comprehend and most doesn't make sense anyways. Sure, a five foot five obese woman in her mid 40's, who is also a "military commander," is going to drag her dead husband 160 feet through a mine field? And people are really going to believe that? (A lot of gullible naive people today! LOL!) Take particular note of the boy that tells a story about "38" barrels, smoke, and "black" sheep ... hilarious! I can only feel that all the high ratings are friends of the producers of this film because this is a really dull, fraudulent, fake, phony dud of a film. The only thing realistic is that it was filmed somewhere in the third world slums of the Middle East. Yeah, there are a few shots of real terrorism, but they comes from file footage that was edited into this disaster.

I'm just glad this was on sale for only $4.99, as I would have never considered paying full price for something with all Arabic names. I'm just laughing at all those individuals who rated this above 2-stars.

Outstanding documentary of Iraqs war to defeat ISIS in Mosul and the leaders that led it.

The most engaging documentary I have ever experienced. The total absence of the corrupt western media is like viewing the situation through an almost perfect lens... Their culture, their struggle presented by one of their own. As a USMC Vietnam veteran, I felt immediate kinship with them fighting for freedom from political and religious oppression. My heart ached for the children and it was a difficult moment watching the injured soldier and his friends agony.

Such a gritty film. One of the best documentaries i've seen in a long time. Honest and real. Wish there made more films like this

This movie is the greatest movir ever made about war on terror It really features how it feels to fight for your survival and survival of your nation, live just to see how the life was before all this one more time this movie greatly shows how kurds, iranians, iraqis, shias, sunnies, americans, russians, turks fought there and how they impacted iraq when the bombers just bomb the city and don't care about who is down there, who once lived there, who was raised in that house that you just bombed at the end the only losers of this war were iraqis iran, russia, turkey, US only fought for influence in the region.