Opening Statement

The first time I had heard anything about The Hurt Locker was the fall of 2008. Among the bigger, splashier titles at the Toronto International Film Festival that year—like Slumdog Millionaire, The Wrestler, and Rachel Getting Married—was this little thriller from Kathryn Bigelow about the War on Terror — by John Gilpatrick, July 31, 2017

Re-thinking the 82nd Academy Awards

In an Oscar year that felt big, it’s fairly remarkable that The Hurt Locker could come away with six trophies, and it’s not for a lack of worthy competition. From top to bottom, and especially in Best Picture, this was a great year for both the Oscars and film more generally — by John Gilpatrick, August 1, 2017

High Risk, High Reward: The Rebellious Hero

The Hurt Locker, Katherine Bigelow’s critically lauded Iraq War film, captures this chaos sown by the heroic rebel like few other films. By examining the broader consequences of maverick behavior, the film poses tough questions about the nature of rebellious heroes, and whether they deserve the praise they receive — by Alex Moore, August 2, 2017

Filmography: Kathryn Bigelow

Bigelow might be most notable for working in genres and with budgets that female filmmakers aren’t often afforded. Many of her films aren’t what one would consider a typical “woman’s film”—which is both an indictment on the types of films Hollywood has given women the opportunity to make and also undeniable proof that claims of women not being able to handle a blockbuster or macho cinema are completely false — by Aaron Pinkston, August 3, 2017

Scenessential: Open with a Bang

A narrative quickly becomes clear. The rover is being operated by an American army bomb squad, inspecting a mysterious package left on the roadside. Residents are being cleared out, an ominous tone clues us into potential danger, accented by a heartbeat like ticking — by Marcus Emanuel, August 4, 2017

The Cinessential Podcast, Ep. 18

John Gilpatrick, Aaron Pinkston, and Alex Moore discuss Kathryn Bigelow's 2008 Iraq thriller The Hurt Locker. Topics include: their favorite scenes, the 2010 Oscars, The Hurt Locker's legacy, Jeremy Renner's career, and more — August 4, 2017

Related Review: Detroit

I saw Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit more than 24 hours before sitting down to write this. I’m usually capable of clacking away at my keyboard shortly after the theater lights come up, my thoughts on the movie in question fairly crystallized as the credits roll. Detroit is different — by John Gilpatrick, August 6, 2017