Dramatic thriller telling the true story of journalist Gary Webb. It centers on Webb's efforts to expose the CIA's former involvement in importing cocaine into California in order to raise funding for Nicaraguan Contra rebels. It was directed by Michael Cuesta and written by Peter Landesman. The script is based on the book, of the same name, by Nick Schou and the novel 'Dark Allaince' by Webb himself. Jeremy Renner stars as Webb in the movie and also served as a producer. The film co-stars Rosemarie DeWitt, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Oliver Platt, Lucas Hedges, Barry Pepper, Tim Blake Nelson, Michael Sheen, Paz Vega, Ray Liotta, Andy Garcia and Michael K. Williams. Both ascinating and factually accurate, this movie pulls you into the shadowy world of the CIA and reveals just how easily they can destroy the lives of ordinary citizens who are, in the opinion of the CIA, not acting in the best interests of the CIA, and how the legal system is so easily subverted by Governmental powers which see themselves as above the reach of the law.
The film is set in the mid-1990s when Gary Webb first learned of the CIA's past involvement in importing large amounts of cocaine into the US. They did this in order to sell it in ghettos, primarily in California, in order to raise money for supporting Contra rebels in Nicaragua. He goes public with the story, in a series of articles called 'Dark Alliance' (which he later based his book on). In retaliation, the CIA aggressively smeared Webb's name and harassed both him and his family.
7.5/10 - absorbing and recommended watch.