Netflix released its new docuseries American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden to critical acclaim, with the three-part examination of the decade-long search for the Al-Qaeda leader currently holding a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The series has quickly claimed the #1 spot on the streaming platform’s U.S. charts.
Directors Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy (Camp Confidential) chronicle the complex intelligence operation that culminated in the 2011 raid on bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
The docuseries focuses on the behind-the-scenes efforts of intelligence professionals tasked with preventing another terrorist attack while simultaneously hunting the 9/11 mastermind.
Rather than offering a straightforward historical account, the directors present firsthand testimony from CIA, FBI, and Department of Defense insiders who participated in the manhunt — exploring both the operational challenges and moral complexities they faced.
“We didn’t want to just tell the story,” the directors explained in a promotional interview. “We wanted viewers to feel like they were in the room, forced to make the same impossible decisions.”
American Manhunt examines the significant ethical questions that emerged during the search, particularly regarding intelligence gathering methods and their long-term implications for American foreign policy.
The documentary maintains a brisk pace across its three episodes, detailing how intelligence agencies gradually assembled the puzzle pieces that eventually led them to bin Laden’s location.
[Spoiler Alert] While the raid’s outcome is well-known, the series reveals the numerous near-misses and intelligence breakthroughs that preceded the operation, providing context that many viewers may find unfamiliar.
Former White House officials and journalists also provide perspective on how the manhunt shaped both domestic and international politics during a transformative period in American history.
The documentary ultimately poses challenging questions about the true cost of the decade-long pursuit — examining what was gained and what may have been lost in the process of bringing bin Laden to justice.
