An in depth view of the descent into madness of British terrorist Mohammed Emwazi, nicknamed 'Jihadi John'. Plenty of insightful interviews from insiders who were deeply ingrained in this story as it played out, mixed with glimpses, both real and re-enacted, of shocking terroristic violence and propaganda. The final product was a polished hour-and-a-half journey through this darker side of humanity. The narrative flowed well, and the main players and motivations were presented clearly and easy to follow. Ignoring personal bias and politics, I thought this was a really interesting, if not stomach turning, peek into the world of terrorism.
10 Reviews
Ambitious and sobering documentary with at times an overload of information
paul-allaer1 August 2019
"Unmasking Jihadi John: Anatomy of a Terrorist" (2019 release; 98 min.) is a documentary about the infamous Kuwaiti-born, British-raised Mohammed Emwazi who eventually became known as "Jihadi John". As the documentary opens, we see footage of the erstwhile elusive terrorist who now brazenly makes videos of his brutal murders and killings. Based on those videos (and the guy's size, hands, and voice), the British authorities are able to identify him "within hours", according to a British intelligence officer. We then go back in time, and get a quick overview of Mohammed's life, including his struggles at school in Britain (his family moved there when he was just 6). All the while we are seeking clues on how Mohammed pivoted towards becoming one of the most notorious terrorists ever (and that is saying something)... At this point we are 10 min. into the documentary.
Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from British director Anthony Wonke, who has within his body of documentaries carved out a sub-specialty on the Middle East, check out in particular his 2014 widely acclaimed documentary "Children on the Frontline - Syria". This time around, Wonke examines the origins of both Jihadi John ("What drives a person to become a terrorist?", someone asks. Turns out the answer to that is very complicated and nuanced), and also the origins of ISIS (Gen. Petraeus wryly comments: "the US detention camps in Iraq"). Wonke puts it all into context, almost at a point of providing too much information is this 100 min. setting. I simply couldn't keep up with the many (Arabic, and hence unfamiliar) names that Wonke and the many talking heads in this documentary throw out there. In the end, the overall tone of this documentary is very sobering, and drives home the point once again how incredibly complex the situation is in the Middle East, and in particular in Syria and Iraq (not that other places like Afghanistan and Somalia are that much easier). But beware, this is not the type of documentary where at its conclusion you go "well that was fun!"...
"Unmasking Jihadi John: Anatomy of a Terrorist" premiered earlier this week on HBO (where I saw it). If you are in the mood for an ambitious and sobering documentary about ISIS and one man's journey becoming a brutal terrorist-killer, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.
Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from British director Anthony Wonke, who has within his body of documentaries carved out a sub-specialty on the Middle East, check out in particular his 2014 widely acclaimed documentary "Children on the Frontline - Syria". This time around, Wonke examines the origins of both Jihadi John ("What drives a person to become a terrorist?", someone asks. Turns out the answer to that is very complicated and nuanced), and also the origins of ISIS (Gen. Petraeus wryly comments: "the US detention camps in Iraq"). Wonke puts it all into context, almost at a point of providing too much information is this 100 min. setting. I simply couldn't keep up with the many (Arabic, and hence unfamiliar) names that Wonke and the many talking heads in this documentary throw out there. In the end, the overall tone of this documentary is very sobering, and drives home the point once again how incredibly complex the situation is in the Middle East, and in particular in Syria and Iraq (not that other places like Afghanistan and Somalia are that much easier). But beware, this is not the type of documentary where at its conclusion you go "well that was fun!"...
"Unmasking Jihadi John: Anatomy of a Terrorist" premiered earlier this week on HBO (where I saw it). If you are in the mood for an ambitious and sobering documentary about ISIS and one man's journey becoming a brutal terrorist-killer, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.
Overwhelming possibly, it mentions the core issue but focuses on flash
jrneptune3 August 2019
A lot of details and interviews to soak in. The documentary does start off explaining some of it is re-enacted but not really done so it is an issue. If anything there might be too many interviews as many of them are the same person explaining another step or event in the life of the subject.
I did feel the main take away was how did an individual growing up in Britain get so hateful? It is almost the question of which came first the chicken or the egg? He already had insecurity issues growing up and the pressures of the security and intelligence agencies that started getting involved in his life were probably a factor in only making things worst. Not just one but three of the people interviewed also mentioned that to include General Petraeus who ended up taking over security for Iraq and later the CIA. The General even stated when he took over in Iraq he realized that the camps for security risks were in fact breeding and recruitment centers for Al-Qaeda and other forces.
The post-9/11 world created a lot of paranoia against not just the Muslim world but anyone who looked different and much of the security although it might have been well intentioned it probably created problems as well for many. With the rise of Social media the bad side of it only had a chance for more exposure and people like the subject of the film knew full well how to take advantage of that.
I feel a bit saddened in that one of the interviews, it was pointed out that at the peak of the subjects cruelty, the media knew they were feeding his desire for exposure about the killings and they only covered it more. They should also put some time into explaining how the folks perpetuating such barbarities also have mental issues as well as some stations actually have done that.
I agree with the one critic in that the documentary is not a must see but if you take the time to look at the deeper issue as to why he became a terrorist and how governments, security, and intelligence agencies have to implement policies to make sure they are being respectful of people while at the same time providing security.
It is worth watching for those who want to see one example of how a person did get transformed into a terrorist. The documentary title shows that as the focus as well. It probably could have been presented in a cleared fashion but then it would not have had all the "flash" or eye candy to draw people into watching it.
I did feel the main take away was how did an individual growing up in Britain get so hateful? It is almost the question of which came first the chicken or the egg? He already had insecurity issues growing up and the pressures of the security and intelligence agencies that started getting involved in his life were probably a factor in only making things worst. Not just one but three of the people interviewed also mentioned that to include General Petraeus who ended up taking over security for Iraq and later the CIA. The General even stated when he took over in Iraq he realized that the camps for security risks were in fact breeding and recruitment centers for Al-Qaeda and other forces.
The post-9/11 world created a lot of paranoia against not just the Muslim world but anyone who looked different and much of the security although it might have been well intentioned it probably created problems as well for many. With the rise of Social media the bad side of it only had a chance for more exposure and people like the subject of the film knew full well how to take advantage of that.
I feel a bit saddened in that one of the interviews, it was pointed out that at the peak of the subjects cruelty, the media knew they were feeding his desire for exposure about the killings and they only covered it more. They should also put some time into explaining how the folks perpetuating such barbarities also have mental issues as well as some stations actually have done that.
I agree with the one critic in that the documentary is not a must see but if you take the time to look at the deeper issue as to why he became a terrorist and how governments, security, and intelligence agencies have to implement policies to make sure they are being respectful of people while at the same time providing security.
It is worth watching for those who want to see one example of how a person did get transformed into a terrorist. The documentary title shows that as the focus as well. It probably could have been presented in a cleared fashion but then it would not have had all the "flash" or eye candy to draw people into watching it.
Convenient narrative for the HBO set
tetrahex21 November 2019
Framed narrowly so the mysteries are only so in order to protect the convenient narrative. Why is the region so destabilized that such groups roam free would be the most basic question, but a film making heroes of journalists oddly doesn't ask the question. Or why are these journalists so naive that they didn't realize this would happen. If they didn't have a finger on the pulse and were little more than naive tourists, what good were they. And as for Jihadi John, they didn't really delve into the questions why such youth are so easy to radicalize because it implicates themselves, the hbo set. The question should be why wouldn't they radicalize when met with a western culture which is hedonistic, emasculated, soulless, godless, and sterile, dysfunctional in every way that woke requires. Why would a muslim accept a society where the only good christian is one waving a rainbow flag. The reasons to hate the west are fed to them by the media, and their teachers and professors, a culture so sexist, so racist, so riddled with sin and so self hating that it deserves to be replaced, all Jihadi John needed to do was go back to his roots and agree with the woke left.
In the end he had a son, and the wests immune system is so broken that his son will be entitled to live in the west if he chooses. Whether people like it or not he chose the rational decision, the west could only offer him life under feminism as a gelded man. The west created the conditions where he could chose to be evil, not just here, but where we destabilized the region all to protect the interests of those who would benefit from it.
good kid bad guy
ferguson-66 August 2019
Greetings again from the darkness. When we think of terrorist groups, we usually visualize a shadowy, faceless group, all dressed in black, while carrying out some unspeakable act of violence. Director Anthony Wonke and writer Richard Kerbaj take a completely different approach - one we haven't really seen before. This is a personal profile of one of the worst terrorists of all time, as well as a look at the marketing that goes into ISIS recruiting, and the international intelligence used to track the most organized of the terrorist groups.
Masked men in movies and TV shows are typically the bad guys - think cattle rustlers and bank robbers. In these stories, a covered face is often the mark of person evil enough to wreak havoc, yet cowardly enough to avoid being identified. In real life, it's pretty much the same. The world was horrified in 2014 when terrorists began beheading hostages and posting the video on social media. The executioner was cloaked in black and, you guessed it, his face was covered. His organization was identified as ISIS: Islamic State of Iran and Syria.
British Intelligence agents are quite forthcoming as they explain that although al-Qaeda was well known at the time, ISIS/ISIL was a new "brand", and a horrific one at that. The British Intelligence agents also let us know that despite not being able to see the executioner's face, they were able to identify him by his hands and voice as Mohammed Enwazi, a British Arab, degreed in Information Systems, and a previous 'person of interest'. It was chilling to see the first video and the ones to follow. The hostage was required to read a prepared statement and then the execution was carried out. The international news media nicknamed the executioner Jihadi John after learning the hostages were referring to the four ISIS hostages with British accents as "The Beatles".
The film dives into Enwazi's background as a kid. It seemed to be a relatively normal childhood of a youngster who enjoyed sports and pop music. We learn that officials had identified him as a risk, and had tried to convert him to working for the country rather than transitioning to ISIS. It's fascinating to learn of his influencers. We hear directly from one of his teachers, and also from hostages and the family members of those tragically impacted by the executions.
A widespread propaganda machine is exposed - the surgical target marketing efforts used by ISIS, including recruiting videos for specific sub-sets. The organization was well funded and well-structured, making it all the more dangerous. A religious backlash occurred and we learn that many in British and American intelligence circles view the takedown of ISIS as a personal mission. The incredible and devastating video clips include the precision drone strike in Syria that ended the run of Jihadi John. And for a moment, the world had a bit less evil.
Masked men in movies and TV shows are typically the bad guys - think cattle rustlers and bank robbers. In these stories, a covered face is often the mark of person evil enough to wreak havoc, yet cowardly enough to avoid being identified. In real life, it's pretty much the same. The world was horrified in 2014 when terrorists began beheading hostages and posting the video on social media. The executioner was cloaked in black and, you guessed it, his face was covered. His organization was identified as ISIS: Islamic State of Iran and Syria.
British Intelligence agents are quite forthcoming as they explain that although al-Qaeda was well known at the time, ISIS/ISIL was a new "brand", and a horrific one at that. The British Intelligence agents also let us know that despite not being able to see the executioner's face, they were able to identify him by his hands and voice as Mohammed Enwazi, a British Arab, degreed in Information Systems, and a previous 'person of interest'. It was chilling to see the first video and the ones to follow. The hostage was required to read a prepared statement and then the execution was carried out. The international news media nicknamed the executioner Jihadi John after learning the hostages were referring to the four ISIS hostages with British accents as "The Beatles".
The film dives into Enwazi's background as a kid. It seemed to be a relatively normal childhood of a youngster who enjoyed sports and pop music. We learn that officials had identified him as a risk, and had tried to convert him to working for the country rather than transitioning to ISIS. It's fascinating to learn of his influencers. We hear directly from one of his teachers, and also from hostages and the family members of those tragically impacted by the executions.
A widespread propaganda machine is exposed - the surgical target marketing efforts used by ISIS, including recruiting videos for specific sub-sets. The organization was well funded and well-structured, making it all the more dangerous. A religious backlash occurred and we learn that many in British and American intelligence circles view the takedown of ISIS as a personal mission. The incredible and devastating video clips include the precision drone strike in Syria that ended the run of Jihadi John. And for a moment, the world had a bit less evil.
Jihadi John review
radioconductor1 August 2019
They're trying to create a free society where they can say that you should face the consequences of your actions by framing their actions as another person's and covering up the crimes against person's they've committed by destroying those people. That is already against the law.
America Had No Role in This?
gsandra-268761 August 2019
There's no mention in this film about the role America has played in the Middle East. It hasn't dawned on any of the writers/producers of this film to include the trumped-up blame on hapless Saddam and Iraq. So we bombed the hell out of Iraq and Afghanistan and Yemen and Syria (some of the total of 76 countries we have either invaded, bombed, or arranged for regime change since World War II). When you kill the mothers, sisters, daughters, sons, fathers, and children in a country -- people tend to want to exact revenge for their anguish. But America discounts the sins of America and blames any country (that's convenient or that has resources we want) and away we go on forever wars. We are not the heroes of this story nor the victims. We start stuff and then are surprised when things go to hell. America will not be remembered well when the real history of the world is written.
Come on now, lets be real...
baoboa2 August 2019
This guy wasnt scary. And this guy wasnt successful at anything. Seriously.. he was a little fuggly dbag wannabe rapper drug kingpin/UK, running around the local neighborhoods trying to rip people off, get girls and drugs. His shortcomings are the sole reason for seeking outside acknowledgment. Absolutely nothing to do with religion.. this dude only wanted the easy life, attention, fame, and most of all money. And when he couldnt work or learn or graft it, he decided.. well, the rest of us are to blame huh.. the rest is history innit.
Why this film even exists is beyond me. Might as well shoot a movie about the very next person you see at 29 high street 7/11 london outside on the piss. Like really, its the same thing. The guy literally failed at everything in life due to lazy mind, body and soul.. and so he made the choice to disgrace his family, religion, country et al, turn to the desert, opportunistic serial murder, imminent suicide.. with a few wannabe "terrorist" cliff notes.
This movie is testament to the stupidity of humanity.
End Of Story.
Why this film even exists is beyond me. Might as well shoot a movie about the very next person you see at 29 high street 7/11 london outside on the piss. Like really, its the same thing. The guy literally failed at everything in life due to lazy mind, body and soul.. and so he made the choice to disgrace his family, religion, country et al, turn to the desert, opportunistic serial murder, imminent suicide.. with a few wannabe "terrorist" cliff notes.
This movie is testament to the stupidity of humanity.
End Of Story.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
