Most counterterrorism movies solely focus on the reality of life for American soldiers. Rather than focusing on the impact of the war on the many civilians living in war-torn countries, they showcase one-off scenes that feature the deaths of key terrorists. If civilians die along the way, they are not necessarily always shown or lingered on. The primary focus is, generally, on the American troops themselves.
Some movies do buck that trend.Schindler’s List(1993) focused entirely on civilian casualties and victims of the Holocaust, whileGrave Of The Fireflies(1988) was a Studio Ghibli movie that depicted the horror of life as a Japanese civilian after World War II. The Chinese-madeMen Behind The Sun(1988) also depicted life in China under Japanese occupation and the depraved suffering that the civilians faced. Few blockbuster Hollywood movies or shows, however,tackle the suffering that comes from American involvementin the War on Terror. That is, except for one standout show.
Homeland Received A Near-Perfect Accuracy Score
The Series Earned An 8 Out Of 10
Homelandwas inspired by the Israeli TV showPrisoners of Warand quickly evolved into an expansive standalone thriller. The show ran for eight seasons from 2013 to 2020 and showcased every aspect of life for modern counterterrorism officials.Its cast included Timothée Chalamet(Finn Walden), Claire Danes (Carrie Mathison), Damian Lewis (Nicholas Brody), Morena Baccarin (Jessica Brody), and numerous other stars. During its run, it aired on Showtime and became an overnight hit that dominated the war show niche.
Focusing solely on past conflicts can prevent viewers from imagining the more modern reality of warfare.
While the show was far fromChalamet’s most prominent roles, it was uniquely honest. While being interviewed byInsider, former CIA counterterrorism officer John Kiriakou considered the accuracy of a clip fromHomeland. Kiriakou did identify several moments that diverged from reality, but none had a massive impact on the story. Instead,he praised the realistic depiction of civilian casualtiesin counterterrorism missions. Based on his own experiences, he granted the series an 8 out of 10 realism score. Check out his explanation below:
I can’t tell you how many times we droned weddings or funerals and then we’d have to say, “Oh sorry here’s a million dollars, our apologies.” So that is, unfortunately true. What’s not true is it wouldn’t be up to an individual case officer to order an air strike. She could call the head of CTC and recommend the air strike, and he says, “Go for it.”
Yeah, this kind of thing happens all the time. So, in this clip, this member of the Pakistani Taliban named Hakani was the target. The Hakani network is a real network, a real terrorist network right on The Afghan-Pakistani border. They’re really Afghans, but anyway, be that as it may, we learned later on in this season that Hakani was not at the site and had lived. That is also something that’s quite common.
You know, rarely,rarely does the American government admit to a mistake. There was a mistake in Afghanistan just days before we pulled out, where we killed this, you know, high-value target who was
loading missiles into the trunk of his car. He was actually not only not a high-value target, he was an employee of the American government, and we just blew him up with a missile from a drone and then said, “Ah sorry our bad”.
And thenyou end up killing civilians virtually every single time, which is another problem. The National Security Council, the Department of Defense, and, indirectly, the CIA say that they do everything possible to avoid civilian casualties. That’s just simply not true. First,the entire intelligence community is unrepentantwhen it comes to civilian casualties. They see it as, you know, part of the price of the so-called war on terror. That is, it’s a violation of international law, of course, and it’s also inhumane.
There’s a very courageous drone whistleblower by the name of Daniel Hale. He was operating a drone remotely, and he fired, and he killed a 9-year-old girl and a 12-year-old girl, and that’s when he said he couldn’t be a part of this anymore. Anybody who’s involved in counterterrorism or who has served in the Middle East or South Asia for, you know, more than one tour has been involved in something like that. I’ve been evacuated many times.
Yeah,I’d call this an eightwith these Hollywood-esque problems that we mentioned.The actual day-to-day in Homeland was pretty, pretty right on.
Our Take On Homeland’s Accuracy
It Greatly Boosts The Stakes
Anytime a movie or show depicts real-world suffering, it should attempt to achieve some level of realism. Anything else would be disrespectful to the civilians who suffered from each operation.All Quiet on the Western Front(2022) earned praisefor depicting something akin to reality for soldiers in World War I, but modern-day civilians also deserve to have their stories told. Focusing solely on past conflicts can prevent viewers from imagining the more modern reality of warfare and its impact on civilians. In its unique depiction,Homelandboosted the stakes of its narrative and contributed to real-world education.
Homeland
Cast
Homeland is a suspenseful drama series centered on CIA officer Carrie Mathison, portrayed as a top agent despite her bipolar disorder. Released on June 09, 2025, the series follows her as she navigates the complexities of intelligence work with the guidance of her mentor, Saul Berenson.
