Forgotten 16-Year-Old War Film Is Stephen King's Personal Favorite: 'More Than Suspenseful'

While there are many reasons why movies lose their appeal over the years, in some cases they deserve much more recognition. As the awards season passes and the hype around the release dies down, some of the most acclaimed films end up being forgotten by younger audiences.

When it comes to war movies, pretty much everyone can name Band of Brothers, Dunkirk, and Saving Private Ryan, but that doesn't even cover a quarter of the list of perfectly great examples of the genre. The Hurt Locker is one of those films that has been unfairly forgotten in recent years, even though it is still very relevant.

Is The Hurt Locker Worth Watching?

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker was a massive success upon its release, but has quickly faded in recent years. It followed the struggles of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team during the Iraq War and earned a place in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. But that's not the full list of its accolades.

The film, starring Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie, won 6 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. With all that in mind, it's not surprising that the movie has also managed to become one of Stephen King 's all-time favorites in the war movie genre.

In his guest column for Entertainment Weekly, in which he ranked his personal top 10 movies of 2009, Stephen King put The Hurt Locker in first place, writing the following about the film:

“Locker is more than suspenseful, however. Director Kathryn Bigelow (Point Break), who has explored the destructive impulses of young men before, outdoes herself in this perfectly honed drama that speaks to the addictive attractions of risk and violence. Want to know why it’s so easy for the pols to feed the war machine? Look here for answers.”

If the author's words weren't enough to convince you of the film's quality, the 97% Rotten Tomatoes score speaks for itself. While the film has been overshadowed by various Marvel projects in both Jeremy Renner's and Anthony Mackie's filmographies, now more than ever it deserves to be brought back and appreciated.

If you are interested in checking out The Hurt Locker, you can rent or buy it on Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, or Apple TV.

Source: Entertainment Weekly