Breaking Hollywood conventions, the movie features an all-Arabic speaking cast. It rightfully shifts the narrative focus to the local Iraqi forces who bore the brunt of the ground combat. 5. Girls of the Sun ( Les filles du soleil ) (2018) Director: Eva Husson Focus: Female Kurdish fighters.
4. This Is Congo (2017) & Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS (2017) Sebastian Junger, Nick Quested ( Hell on Earth )
For Sama (2019)An intimate and epic journey into the female experience of war. This Oscar-nominated film is a love letter from a young mother to her daughter, filmed over five years in Aleppo. It provides an unparalleled look at the civilian struggle against both the Syrian regime and extremist factions.
This is arguably the most critically acclaimed film on the topic. You will find two distinct but equally important versions of the story—both titled Mosul . The first is a Netflix-produced Arabic-language action thriller directed by Matthew Michael Carnahan. It follows the real-life Nineveh SWAT Team, a group of Iraqi police officers who waged a guerrilla war to retake their city from ISIS. The second is a documentary by Dan Gabriel. The documentary focuses on the intersecting narratives of Iraqi ethnic groups fighting in the same battle, using eyewitness footage captured over nine months.
: A four-part British television drama (rated ) that follows four British men and women who travel to Syria to join ISIS, depicting their disillusionment and the brutal reality of the regime. ISIS: Enemies of Humanity (2017) isis movies list extra quality
These scripted films use high-production values and deep character development to explore the personal tragedies behind the headlines. Focus: Iraqi resistance.
: An Indian action-drama film that depicts the indoctrination methods of the group and their global impact; it is available for streaming on Prime Video . Road to Istanbul (2016)
This masterpiece follows the anonymous activists of "Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently" (RBSS). It chronicles the immense personal risks taken by ordinary citizens documenting ISIS atrocities from within the occupied city. The film is a powerful testament to the bravery of citizen journalists and the power of truth in wartime. 2. For Sama (2019) Directors: Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts
Based on meticulous research, this BAFTA-nominated miniseries avoids cartoonish villainy. Instead, it systematically deconstructs the false promises of extremist propaganda. Caliphate (Kalifat) (2020) Creator: Wilhelm Behrman Format: Swedish Thriller Series (Netflix) Girls of the Sun ( Les filles du
: A documentary-style production emphasizing the group's "nation-building" efforts with high-quality visual and field effects.
The Syrian civil war and the encroachment of extremist factions.
The film plays out like a real-life spy thriller. It showcases the high-stakes information war fought with cameras, smartphones, and underground networks against a brutal regime. 6. Sea Tomorrow / The Return: Life After ISIS (2021) Format: Documentary Feature Language: English, Spanish
Almost every narrative features a moment of disillusionment, where characters realize the "utopia" promised by recruiters is actually a violent, totalitarian nightmare. This Oscar-nominated film is a love letter from
It accurately demonstrates the digital sophistication of modern extremist propaganda and the terrifying speed of online radicalization. Core Themes Explored in These Films
This tense thriller intertwines the lives of a Swedish national intelligence agent, a young woman trapped inside the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa, and a group of Swedish teenagers being groomed by an extremist recruiter.
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has been a major player in global politics and conflicts for over a decade. The terrorist organization's brutal tactics, radical ideology, and rapid expansion have captivated the world's attention, inspiring a plethora of movies and documentaries that attempt to make sense of its rise and fall. In this article, we'll provide a list of ISIS movies that offer extra quality, featuring in-depth analysis, gripping storylines, and thought-provoking themes.
This definitive, high-quality watchlist compiles the most critically acclaimed and impactful movies, documentaries, and series about ISIS. 1. Groundbreaking Dramatic Features