American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden

As another reviewer noted, there is a pretty obvious theme through the CIA analysts they interviewed for this program, and it's obvious that it isn't terribly reflective of the entire body of CIA analysts.

Were these the only ones that would consent to an interview? Or are these the only ones that have retired and are willing to spill the tea? Did the good ones not have any interest in participating or were these ladies hand-selected to drive some message?

Generally a decent documentary, doesn't offer much that hasn't already been done in previous projects. I would like to have seen a couple of analysts that were a part of running the ops rather than a just a couple from the periphery that are ashamed of the CIA.

And seriously - a drone controller who is talking about how being a VP in her sorority qualified her for the job? Puhh-lease. Who decided any commentary on her background or sorority membership has any relevance to this at all?

This is an excellent documentary. 3 episodes that pull you in immediately. Never boring. Never repetitive. Astonishing revelations and seamless editing.

The interviews are incredible. Listening to the CIA operatives and other people in the Bush and Obama administrations who gave years and years of their lives to bring justice to the victims and their families is almost a religious experience.

This is storytelling at its finest.

Of course the one interview that will stand out is that with the SEAL Team 6 member. The last 30 minutes of the 3rd episode are absolutely gripping. I was left in awe that the impossible was accomplished. I am left with images I will never forget.

But perhaps even more riveting are the CIA operatives and analysts. We get an in depth look into their jobs and their lives, their fears and hopes. You get the sense that they were never the same after what they went through.

I think I had forgotten this manhunt. And clearly what I remembered of it was minimal. I still remember the day the towers fell but I had forgotten the level of national anguish we experienced. The first episode, as it sets the stage for the documentary, reminds us of this.

The very end of the last episode is cautionary. Did the U. S. win the battle, but Osama win the war? That's the question we are left with.

Recommended. Ten stars.

Follows an in-depth look at how the world mobilized to hunt down Osama Bin Laden after his orchestrations of the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the United States.

The documentary itself is pretty good. Too bad that most of the people involved are spekking in an arrogant, annoying way. And the typical 'look how great America is!' seems quite unappropriate. Forgot about all the big failures, before and after 9/11? Failures that costed the lives of thousands of people worldwide.

I only liked the footage and preparations of the actual raid in 2011. Everything else was political and USA propaganda.

"American Manhunt: The Search for Osama bin Laden" is hands down one of the best docuseries I've seen on Netflix. It's not just informative - it's edge-of-your-seat gripping. The storytelling is phenomenal, taking a well-known global event and turning it into something that feels fresh, intense, and emotionally powerful.

The way they structure the timeline, bouncing between past events and the final moments of the manhunt, is done so well that you're never lost, just completely locked in. Even if you know how the story ends, the journey there is filled with suspense.

The editing deserves serious praise. It's clean, sharp, and incredibly effective in building tension. The series seamlessly blends real footage, interviews, and dramatized clips to keep things moving without ever dragging or feeling confusing. Every episode leaves you wanting more - no filler, no fluff.

What I loved most is how it doesn't just focus on the mission, but also gives space to the people involved - the intelligence officers, Navy SEALs, and even those on the emotional side of the aftermath. It's respectful, smart, and powerful.

If you're into true crime, war history, or just love really well-made documentaries, this is a must-watch. Netflix nailed it with this one.

It's funny to see people calling out the 'Bias' in the making of this docu-series. First of all, I really want to clarify that 9/11 happened in their soil. Although there were (and are) subsequent attacks later, this is their version of the truth. Their sentiments, their emotions, and their story of victory.

History is written by the victors. Let's keep that in mind. This series did justice to the events completely and anyone with a far cry of their own version of the truth that they got bits and pieces of, sitting wherever they are, snuggled up, watching/reading everything on 9/11 from various sources, are still far-removed from the ones who witnessed and were in front of the line fighting / making decisions whether on ground or from behind a desk.

I thoroughly enjoyed this POV from National Security, CIA and govt. Officials as these are the ones who don't usually comment but are always commented on! I think Netflix did a really good job capturing their emotions and statements well (Except that sorority lady who annoyed tf out of me with her self-praise).

That being said, a tragedy can have infinite POVs and someone who is truly unbiased would love exploring it all, from different angles, and Netflix brought us one such valuable angle. The ones that have rated this less are the biased ones and that's the irony.