'Mayor of Kingstown' Star's Military Masterpiece Is About To Exit Streaming

5 days ago 12

A soldier running from an explosion in The Hurt Locker

Published Feb 22, 2026, 3:41 PM EST

Chris is a Senior News Writer for Collider. He can be found in an IMAX screen, with his eyes watering and his ears bleeding for his own pleasure. He joined the news team in 2022 and accidentally fell upwards into a senior position despite his best efforts.

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If you’ve been meaning to revisit one of the most intense war films ever made, this is your heads-up. The story follows Staff Sgt. William James, played by Jeremy Renner, a reckless, adrenaline-chasing bomb disposal expert who joins an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit in Iraq. His arrival immediately destabilizes the team, putting him at odds with Sgt. J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty).

The movie is The Hurt Locker, and it is currently streaming on Netflix, but it’s leaving at the end of February. And considering how often it’s labeled the best modern war movie of all time, that’s not a small loss. The film has also recently surged back into streaming charts in multiple countries, as director Kathryn Bigelow returned to the spotlight in 2025 with her latest release, A House of Dynamite. But for many, this 2009 Iraq War thriller remains her defining achievement.

Guy Pearce also appears in a brief but memorable role — the kind of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it performance that still sticks with you. Despite earning just $49 million worldwide, The Hurt Locker was made on a relatively modest $15 million budget, making it a financial success. But its real dominance came during awards season. The film holds a near-perfect 96% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 86% audience rating. At the 2010 Academy Awards, it won six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Bigelow — making her the first woman ever to win the latter.

How Good Is 'The Hurt Locker'?

Collider’s review stated that The Hurt Locker was the first truly great Iraq War movie — a blistering, nerve-shredding experience that refused to turn soldiers into saints and instead portrayed them as deeply human, flawed, and compelling.

"The Hurt Locker is the Iraq War film both audiences and the troops deserve. Bigelow already understands that no one who sees this film needs to be told that our troops are honorable men and women. But honor is meaningless without context and so her film strives for honesty and complexity all wrapped-up in a ticking time bomb of action that blows away ponderous conversations and armchair politics. While we all want this war over and our troops home, I hope this film isn't the last good look we get at this conflict."

The Hurt Locker is streaming now on Netflix.