Shadow Company

2006

1h 26m

Documentary

List

80%

15 Reviews

Tomatometer

85%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Examining the lives and origins of private soldiers who operate in Iraq and around the world illustrates how they are changing the face of modern warfare.

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Audience Member

Definitely gave some good insights on this line of work that I'm interested in myself. Maybe not enough for complete knowledge of PMC but a good push on forward research.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Shows various opinions on the topic of "hired guns". Respects the viewer by not humanizing or demonizing either side too much. Interesting and informative.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Audience Member

A very well made documentary about the huge place private soldier are taking in modern warfare especially in Iraq.A good watch if you are interesting in what is happening in middle east.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

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Audience Member

Probably the most well-balanced doc that I've ever watched. It's simultaneously an indictment of, but also a realistic look into, the world of modern private security companies (i.e. "mercenaries"). A fascinating examination of a world that exists just beyond the veneer of polite society. Grade: B+

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

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Audience Member

A fascinating look at mercenaries and the role they have played in Sierra Leone, Papua New Guinea, Equitorial Guinea, and most recently Iraq. It gives a very well rounded view of these mercenary companies from historical experts, to a lobbyist for these security companies, to people who have worked in the field themselves and those who still are. Very interesting and very well done.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

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Audience Member

A very well made documentary about the huge place private soldier are taking in modern warfare especially in Iraq.A good watch if you are interesting in what is happening in middle east.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

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Nick Bicanic

Director

Jason Bourque

Director

Gerard Butler

Narrator

P.W. Singer

Actor

Jason Bourque

Writer

Nick Bicanic

Writer

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Maureen M. Hart

Chicago Tribune

Shadow Company provides a pretty thorough examination of the unknown soldiers doing a lot of the heavy lifting there, outside the conventional rules of warfare.

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 6, 2007

Full Review

Bill Stamets

Chicago Sun-Times

Drawing a line between official and unofficial forces is irrelevant since both are paid with our taxes, Shadow Company throws light on that bottom line in the war on terror.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 5, 2007

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Kenneth Turan

Los Angeles Times

Though it offers interesting stories, Shadow Company does feel a little scattered.

Rated: 2.5/5

Sep 15, 2007

Full Review

David Walsh

World Socialist Web Site

Shadow Company ends with a list of mercenaries who have died "in action"! To repeat, this is passivity that borders on politically criminal negligence.

Feb 14, 2021

Full Review

Prairie Miller

WBAI Web Radio

This documentary touching on both the historical evolution and contemporary phenomenon of mercenaries feels uncomfortably like a promotional campaign for private security firms, as they're more euphemistically termed.

Sep 27, 2007

Full Review

Eric Monder

Film Journal International

Should be seen by anyone who still romanticizes war, the troops, or the stated motives behind any sort of military conflict.

Sep 19, 2007

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Synopsis

Examining the lives and origins of private soldiers who operate in Iraq and around the world illustrates how they are changing the face of modern warfare.

Director: Nick Bicanic, Jason Bourque
Screenwriter: Jason Bourque, Nick Bicanic
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 8, 2016
Runtime: 1h 26m

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