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No End in Sight

No End in Sight

The American Occupation of Iraq. The Inside Story From the Ultimate Insiders.

2007102 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Director
Charles Ferguson
Starring
Campbell Scott, Samantha Power, Linda Bilmas, Ann Gildroy

Chronological look at the fiasco in Iraq, especially decisions made in the spring of 2003 - and the backgrounds of those making decisions - immediately following the overthrow of Saddam: no occupation plan, an inadequate team to run the country, insufficient troops to keep order, and three edicts from the White House announced by Bremmer when he took over.

Where to watch

Where can I watch No End in Sight?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists No End in Sight streaming on Dox via Prime Video, Magnolia Selects via Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about No End in Sight?

No End in Sight earns 5 badges, led by Top 1% of films and Universally Loved.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is No End in Sight worth watching?

No End in Sight's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all films, from 12K ratings across 6 sources. 91% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of films

97th percentile among Documentary99th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)97th
Approval (how many liked it)98th

81 /100

97th percentile of all films

91st percentile among Documentary98th percentile among 2000s

Critics 89 · Audience 80

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

91% liked it

98th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Documentary99th percentile among 2000s
91% rated it 7–109% rated it 1–6

Critics 96% · Audience 94%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 11 wins / 17 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Documentary, Features

82nd percentile

12K ratings across platforms

96th percentile among Documentary75th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 28% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$2M
Opening weekend$32K
Domestic gross$1.4M
Worldwide gross$1.4M

Returned 0.7× its budget — 89th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a well-crafted, fact-driven indictment of post-invasion mismanagement, but fans call it vital and sober while detractors call it a biased, incomplete rehash.

Fans praised

  • meticulous post-invasion policy autopsy
  • courageous interviews with insiders who admit blame
  • clear, chronological structuring of complex material

Detractors panned

  • ignores war's root causes and corporate profiteering
  • one-sided propaganda that omits dissenting voices
  • rehashes common knowledge without new revelations

What stands out

Plot and story87

clear, damning timeline of strategic errors

Atmosphere82

pervasive sense of outrage and doom

Emotional impact80

frustrating and infuriating viewing

Pacing75

dense and methodical, slow for some

OriginalityDivisive68

compiles known facts effectively; little new info

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is No End in Sight like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

No single mood: browse every movie of this kindNo one kind of watch fits it, so it is described by how heavy it is.

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you angry. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Moods
DreadElegiac
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Cold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents its evidence with sober, journalistic seriousness, never undercutting its material.
The rideThe film maintains a consistent tone of foreboding and lament as it details the unfolding disaster.
StructureThe film builds chronologically from the fall of Baghdad through the unraveling of the occupation, using interviews and archival footage within a straightforward structure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Angry.

Infuriating · 4% of films: Leaves you angry at an injustice the film shows, never at the film.Thought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's damning evidence of policy failures leaves one angry and deeply unsettled, demanding reflection on accountability.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThis is a non-narrative documentary examining US policy failures in Iraq; it does not follow a plot archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% (this title) · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Oppression · 4% of filmsJustice · 13% of filmsDeception · 9% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film examines how U.S. policy errors in post-invasion Iraq led to systemic chaos, criminal rule, and the suffering of Iraqi civilians.
StanceThe documentary warns that the policy errors in Iraq created a far greater crisis than the one they were meant to solve.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Peter Nashel
SettingIraq immediately after the 2003 invasion, focusing on Baghdad and U.S. decision-making centers
MusicThe score underscores the gravity of the testimony without overwhelming it.

Content guide

Is No End in Sight okay for kids?

Not Rated

No End in Sight is not rated.

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does No End in Sight have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in No End in Sight?

Cast

Campbell Scott
as Narrator
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Samantha Power
Linda Bilmas
Ann Gildroy
Aida Ussayran

Crew

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What are movies like No End in Sight?

Movies like No End in Sight include Inside Job (2010), Dirty Wars (2013) and The Dissident (2020). Of the 12 closest matches, several are war films, and several are films about oppression.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

8 of these 12 share its world: political. Those cards say what else they share.

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