Mosul (2019) is a gritty, powerful war film that tells the true story of one of the most heroic and underreported battles of the 21st century. Directed by Matthew Michael Carnahan and produced by the Russo Brothers (Avengers: Endgame), the film plunges viewers into the heart of war-torn Iraq, following an elite group of Iraqi soldiers fighting to liberate their city from the grip of ISIS.
Based on a 2017 New Yorker article, Mosul centers on the Nineveh SWAT team—an independent, rogue unit made up entirely of men who have all lost family members to ISIS. Fueled by vengeance, loyalty, and the desperation to take back what’s theirs, these men conduct guerrilla-style missions inside the city’s occupied zones, striking fast and vanishing before ISIS can retaliate. The story is seen through the eyes of Kawa, a young rookie cop recruited into the unit after a harrowing encounter with insurgents. As he’s pulled deeper into the group’s deadly mission, Kawa must learn who to trust, how to fight, and what it truly means to be part of something greater than revenge..
Mosul stands out for its authenticity—filmed entirely in Arabic with Iraqi actors, it avoids Western tropes and instead focuses on the courage, trauma, and resilience of local fighters who took their city back block by block. The action is intense and grounded, with urban warfare scenes that feel brutally real, stripped of Hollywood gloss. Yet beneath the bullets and ruins lies a deeper story—of brotherhood, sacrifice, and the human cost of reclaiming dignity from destruction.
Unlike many war films, Mosul doesn’t rely on spectacle; its power comes from its honesty. It shines a light on those who lived the war firsthand—not as victims or side characters, but as heroes fighting for their homes, their families, and their futures.
In a cinematic landscape often dominated by American perspectives, Mosul gives voice to the local warriors who faced the world’s most feared terrorist group and said: “Not here. Not anymore.”
