Every Kathryn Bigelow Film Ranked From Worst To Best

Bigelow’s dusty indie kicked critics on their behind, swept the awards scene, and reignited her stalling career. How come?

It refreshingly film lost the ‘war-is-hell’ motives, instead looked at the 'why' and 'how' soldiers do what they do; there's a remarkable frankness as we follow a trio of soldiers tasked with eliminating bomb threats during the Iraq War .

On one side of that spectrum sits Jeremy Renner’s squad Sergeant, a thrill freak that sleeps better with his Bomb Squad helmet on then off. Then there's Anthony Mackie as his second; cautious and by-the-book. Both actors memorable performances would finally break them into the mainstream after toiling away in minor roles.

Bigalow’s subjugates the audience to a relentless series of action scenes, captured in a grimy on-the-fly manner, yet it's never superfluous; every set-piece is intricate to the squad’s journey and character development. Her down-and-dirty approach feels like an old professional rejuvenated with a youthful energy. Yet her old fascinations of the bitter camaraderie between violent men, as well as macho bravado masking nihilistic and suicidal psychology, feel like they're explored to a full circle.

It's a true testament to the film's frank power that the brief final coda summarises what countless Oscar bait dramas have struggled to achieve. As Renner struggles to buy his family cereal, we fully understand why he walks into death with a smile - in his bomb suit, he is only truly back home.