A “masterpiece” action triller is hailed by fans a “masterpiece” they can’t stop watching. Zero Dark Thirty (2012) dramatises the US’s 10-year-old hunt for Osama bin Laden, the former leader of Al-Qaeda, following the terror group’s horrific September 11 attacks in the US.

The film follows Maya (played by Jessica Chastain) a fictional CIA intelligence analyst who plays a key role in tracking down bin Laden to his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Jason Clarke (perhaps best known for his performance as career politician Tommy Caffee in Brotherhood) and Star Wars star Joel Edgerton in supporting roles.

The film was directed by Kathryn Bigelow, known for blockbusters like A House of Dynamite and The Hurt Locker, for which she won the Best Director Oscar.

The narrative incorporates real-life figures with numerous fictional elements. It attracted criticism from lawmakers in the US over its historical accuracy, with claims it erroneously suggested the use of torture was key to eventually tracking down the terrorist leader.

Nonetheless, it was praised by many critics and continues appreciated by audiences as a piece of dramatic entertainment.

One fan took to Rotten Tomatoes to shower the film with praise, writing: “One of my all-time favorite movies. I have watched this movie many times since it first came out.”

They said the film is an “entertaining piece of art that serves as a dramatic and emotional masterpiece, and one of the best films to come out of the 2010s”.

Another fan said they had “no idea how this didn’t win the Best Picture Oscar”. “The best advert I can give it is that it stands the test of time.

“I’ve seen it about 10 times over the years and each time I see it, I appreciate it more.”

A third said: “This is the best CIA movie ever. Gritty, realistic, hard to watch at times, brooding, building, tense. Amazing direction and cinematography, sound design. Katherine Bigelow won her Oscar for The Hurt Locker but this is head and shoulders better.”

A fourth described it as: “Thrilling and suspenseful two and half hours of adrenaline rush.”

The movie has a superb 91% score on the review aggregator site’s Tomatometer (which reflects the percentage of approved critics who have given it a positive review. It’s also got a strong 80% score among general audiences.

It has a 15 certificate and contains strong language, violence and scenes of torture – so may not be suitable for everyone.

Zero Dark Thirty was added to Netflix last month, and is available to stream now.