Distressing and illuminating in equal measure, Only the Dead takes us into the eye of the War on Terror with an unsettling clarity, documenting the personal cost of war and the origins of an evil plague that has gripped the world.

Movies about the “War on Terror” have become an industry onto their own. From Taxi to the Dark Side to American Sniper, thousands of screen minutes have been dedicated to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet with a runtime of only 77 minutes, Only the Dead hits hard those relevant home truths that are face smacking in their clarity as they are horrific in their realisations.

It all comes from the testimony – visual and audio – of Michael Ware, former journalist for CNN and Time who lived and reported on the war in Iraq during its duration. Throughout Ware used his trusty video camera to film the ever changing face of the war, namely the evolving face of terror as Ware documented the formation of an ISIS that was about the unleash a new level of hell.

Ware’s ability to get close with insurgent militia led to his capturing attacks on American troops (the footage of which had Ware and CNN in hot water with the White House). It also led to his being chosen as a press liaison of sorts by a high ranking terrorist (and founder of what would be ISIS) who wanted to show the world that they have become more daring, deadly & violent.

The barrage of brutality that constantly battered Ware’s psyche and soul revealed its destruction during a quiet moment of disturbing clarity, as Ware filmed a mortality wounded insurgent die in front of his lens for what seemed like an eternity without a peep for help from Ware’s mouth. It’s a moment that Ware describes as his descent into darkness, that crossover into an immune state from the death and destruction that had surrounded him for nearly a decade.

It’s when a post-war Ware looked through the thousands of hours of video footage captured in Iraq that he was able to come to grips with the chaos and violence that was a large part of his life. With co-director Bill Guttentag (a two time Oscar winner for his documentary shorts) and editor Jane Moran (Patrick), Ware is able to frame a movie from his experiences both personal and professional, the journalist that Ware is writing a narrative that’s clear and concise in its delivery.

Much is learned from Ware’s words of haunted experience, mostly that while war is indeed destructive, it can also plant seeds for even more rotten fruit to grow. Thankfully Ware was able to find his way out of the darkness and start life anew, with Only the Dead a testimony of war that all should heed.