A rock star general bent on winning the “impossible” war in Afghanistan takes us inside the complex machinery of modern war. Inspired by the true story of General Stanley McChrystal.
Acting
Pitt's bizarre physicality—jaw jutted, voice gravelly, utterly committed to the bit.
Writing
The Rolling Stone article framing device that bites harder than the film itself.
Director
David Michôd
Brad Pitt
Gen. Glen McMahon
Anthony Michael Hall
Greg Pulver
Emory Cohen
Willy Dunne
John Magaro
Cory Staggart
Topher Grace
Matt Little
Tilda Swinton
German Politician
Daniel Betts
Simon Ball
Aymen Hamdouchi
Badi Basim
Alan Ruck
Pat McKinnon
Anthony Hayes
Pete Duckman
RJ Cyler
Andy Moon
Nicholas Jones
Dick Waddle
Will Poulter
Ricky Ortega
LaKeith Stanfield
Cpl. Billy Cole
Ben Kingsley
President Karzai
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The film is based on Michael Hastings' 2010 Rolling Stone article 'The Runaway General,' which literally got McChrystal fired in real life. Hastings died in a suspicious car crash three years later.
Netflix reportedly gave Michôd $60 million for this—a staggering bet on satirical war cinema that audiences mostly ignored. The algorithm giveth and the algorithm taketh away.
US
