The incredible story told inBlack Hawk Down, the 2001 war filmdirected by Ridley Scott, is getting its own documentary treatment. The documentary series is calledSurviving Black Hawk Down, and it’s being produced by Netflix and Scott’s production company, RSA.
Per the report by Deadline,Surviving Black Hawk Downis a three-episode documentary series that follows the true events that transpired in 1993 in Somalia.The testimonies by the survivors are the basis of the docu seriesthat will be released on Feb. 10, exclusively on Netflix.
Scott’sBlack Hawk Downfilm was written by Ken Nolan, and was inspired by the bookBlack Hawk Down: A Story of Modern Warby Mark Bowden. It followsthe events of the Battle of Mogadishu when 160 U.S. soldiers saw themselves ambushedby hundreds of Somalis during a military operation. Per the film’s synopsis:
The story of 160 elite U.S. soldiers who dropped into Mogadishu in October 1993 to capture two top lieutenants of a renegade warlord, but found themselves in a desperate battle with a large force of heavily armed Somalis.
The Netflix docu series is directed by Jack MacInnes, who doesn’t only point the camera at the American soldiers involved with the disastrous ambush, but alsoSomalian witnesses who managed to capture some of the events on camera. And even members of the militia who fought against the U.S. military.
‘Black Hawk Down’ Is One of the Best War Movies of the Last 25 Years
Black Hawk Downis a riveting war movie that shook audiences back in 2001when it received a limited release because producers wanted it to compete at the Oscars in 2002. The next year, it played in thousands of theaters worldwide, and ended upgrossing $173 million at the box office from a $92 million production budget.
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The film received four Academy Award nominations, including a nod for Scott in the Best Director category. Scott lost to Ron Howard, winning for his work inA Beautiful Mind, and it was the last nomination Scott had received at the Oscars.Black Hawk Downdid win in a couple of categories: Best Film Editing and Best Sound.
The reception from critics was good. It still sits at 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, although the film has often been criticized because itsupposedly leaves out some important facts about the Battle of Mogadishu, andit’s historically inaccurate.
Regardless, it’s an outstanding example of its genre,wonderfully led by its excellent ensemble castthat includes huge names like Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Sam Shepard, Eric Bana, William Fichtner, Hugh Dancy, Tom Guiry, Tom Sizemore, Jason Isaacs, Brendan Sexton III, Tom Hardy, Orlando Bloom, Ioan Gruffudd, among others.
Today, it’s mostly remembered for its ensemble cast and great battle sequences. But there’s more toBlack Hawk Downthan just a fancy war movie. It’s agritty drama with gripping performances by its young castand a powerful anti-war message that will surely become stronger with the upcoming Netflix docu series,Surviving Black Hawk Down.
Black Hawk Down
