Shock and Awe is a 2017 American drama film starring and directed by Rob Reiner and written by Joey Hartstone. The film also stars Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, James Marsden, Milla Jovovich, and Jessica Biel, and follows a group of journalists at Knight Ridder‘s Washington Bureau who investigate the rationale behind the Bush Administration‘s then-impending 2003 invasion of Iraq.^[6][7] The film had its world premiere at the Zurich Film Festival on September 30, 2017.^[8] It was released through DirecTV Cinema on June 14, 2018, before having a limited release in theaters on July 13, 2018, by Vertical Entertainment.

PLOT

The film opens with a paralyzed Iraq War veteran testifying before Congress about his injuries in the war. The film centers on Knight Ridder reporters Jonathan Landay and Warren Strobel along with Editor-in-Chief John Walcott and legendary war correspondent Joe Galloway as they investigate the U.S. government’s claims of Iraq stockpiling weapons of mass destruction following the 9/11 attacks. While most news agencies accept the Bush Administration‘s rationale for military action against Saddam Hussein, the Knight Ridder team, at the instance of Walcott and Galloway, uncovers mounting evidence suggesting the administration’s motives may be deceptive and that such weapons do not exist. The story follows the reporters’ pursuit of the truth amid a patriotic media landscape, highlighting their efforts to challenge the prevailing narrative. Throughout, the reporters navigate Washington and gather information from various insiders, often anonymously, to expose the controversy surrounding the Iraq war buildup.