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Syriana

Play trailer Poster for Syriana R,  2005,  2h 8m,  Drama/ Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 73% 195 Reviews Tomatometer 67% 100,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
73% Tomatometer 195 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
The Middle Eastern oil industry is the backdrop of this tense drama, which weaves together numerous story lines. Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright) is an American lawyer in charge of facilitating a dubious merger of oil companies, while Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon), a Switzerland-based energy analyst, experiences both personal tragedy and opportunity during a visit with Arabian royalty. Meanwhile, veteran CIA agent Bob Barnes (George Clooney) uncovers an assassination plot with unsettling origins.
Syriana

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Ambitious, complicated, intellectual, and demanding of its audience, Syriana is both a gripping geopolitical thriller and wake-up call to the complacent.

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Critics Reviews

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Zadie Smith Daily Telegraph (UK) Jan 17, 2018
Syriana is an American movie that reaches out beyond itself. Watching it made me feel hopeful -- a rare sensation in a cinema. Go to Full Review
Victoria Segal New Statesman Sep 26, 2017
... If you can avoid getting too hung up on the details, Syriana is a brave attempt to blitz the goody-baddy dynamics of cold-war film-making and concentrate on the ambiguities of modern geopolitics. Go to Full Review
J. R. Jones Chicago Reader Mar 30, 2009
This is intelligent, committed, and politically provocative, though its narrative puzzle box may prompt you to throw up your hands and let ExxonMobil go on running the world. Go to Full Review
Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies Nov 23, 2025
4/5
Twenty years later, Syriana and its exploration of oil, politics, and the human cost behind global power remains as relevant today as it was in 2005. Go to Full Review
Michael Clark Epoch Times May 13, 2022
5/5
This movie is certainly not for all, or even most tastes. If you prefer something light, breezy, and uncomplicated, don’t even waste your time. It gets up in your face and under your skin and grows only more confrontational and damning as it progresses. Go to Full Review
Micheal Compton Bowling Green Daily News Nov 19, 2019
A
A complex thriller that challenges its audience with a fascinating story woven among several plot threads. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Abraham L Feb 23, 2019 U-NEXT, 2019/2 It`s complicated. Many people appear. I don`t think that it`ll be fun because I understood it.
Theodore G Sep 1, 2018 changed by the ones who are affected by it.. Syriana Syriana is a character driven political thriller about an oil industry whose fate is not only left up to the ones that runs it but is changed by the ones who are affected by it. Distributed in multiple acts, the script is surprisingly gripping and keeps the audience on the edge of the seat. And even though it doesn't flow naturally as it should, the editing is quite impressive as the narration never loses its way. Ticking for two hours, and following few characters with multiple intervals, it may feel like an overstretched view and a far fetched concept. But it's layered and thought provoking ideology which it depicts through metaphorical incidents with crossover of characters and jaw dropping sequences, the feature sticks its landing safely. Gagham's projection of humane emotions might be accurate but is also poignant since it dwells on the darker side of the coin which may not be edible for everyone. The background score is pretty much flat with sharp sound effects and amazing cinematography and fine editing. The camera work is decently handled with stunning live locations that projects cultures and eye-popping cringing graphics whose credit goes to fine art designing. Clooney is doing some of his career's best work in here with Damon's calm and focused portrayal, Plummer's cunning smart act and Wright's survival spirit, all of it blending in aptly and delivering the anticipated performance from such huge cast. Gagham's adaptation is smart and adaptive and far better than his execution skills since it fails to close any sequence appropriately. Layered screenplay, accurate depiction on cultural insights and Clooney at the heart of it are the high of the feature. The craft Syriana is brimmed with, is how to foliate news into an effective and essential act, it may come with cons, but there are lots of pros. See more
Ron L Aug 9, 2018 Interested in the topic and premise, but the plot jumped around so much it was unwatchable. Didn't finish it.
Anakin S Jul 28, 2018 I enjoyed this movie, although I feel at least a moderate familiarity with the oil industry and the Middle East is pretty much pre-requisite in order to keep track of everything that is happening. Also, I feel like the motive for the ending scene is not well-enough developed. See more
Rey M Jul 9, 2018 Syriana is a complex docu-drama that is now dated.. Not an easy movie to watch as it deals with multiple lives and handles the complex issue, ie. the Middle East/Oil. See more
Leia R May 27, 2018 Horrible movie with horrible ending. Makes no sense
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Syriana

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis The Middle Eastern oil industry is the backdrop of this tense drama, which weaves together numerous story lines. Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright) is an American lawyer in charge of facilitating a dubious merger of oil companies, while Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon), a Switzerland-based energy analyst, experiences both personal tragedy and opportunity during a visit with Arabian royalty. Meanwhile, veteran CIA agent Bob Barnes (George Clooney) uncovers an assassination plot with unsettling origins.
Director
Stephen Gaghan
Producer
George Clooney, Ben Cosgrove, Jennifer Fox
Screenwriter
Robert Baer, John Bowker
Distributor
Warner Bros.
Production Co
Warner Brothers
Rating
R (Violence|Language)
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 9, 2005, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA)
$50.8M
Runtime
2h 8m
Sound Mix
Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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