Quartile rating: 4.5/10 · 1 rating
Based on the true story of two young men, David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, who won a $300 million contract from the Pentagon to arm America's allies in Afghanistan.
War Dogs is a competent but derivative entry in the Scorsese-esque rise-and-fall crime comedy genre, clearly borrowing its stylistic DNA from The Wolf of Wall Street and Goodfellas without adding much of its own. The true story provides inherent interest and the central dynamic between Hill and Teller is engaging enough, but the film feels formulaic in its structure and aesthetic choices. Cinematography is serviceable but unremarkable, leaning on familiar handheld energy and needle-drop montages. The ending is adequately handled given the true-story constraints but lacks punch. Novelty suffers most as the film occupies well-trodden territory without a distinctive voice.