I didn't know what to expect when I started watching this. Being a self-confessed news junkie I like to think I know what is going on in the world. The story of the rise of ISIS and their so-called 'Caliphate' was something I had followed for a couple of years and found coverage of it to be gripping. The caliphate was never going to last especially with the military might of the US-led Coalition, Russia, Turkey and Iran railed against it. The movie reflects this confusing situation where many groups and factions who would normally be enemies come together to defeat a common enemy. Where 'Mosul' succeeded was in providing me with details about who was involved in the fight to liberate Iraq's second city from ISIS. The western news media didn't really go into much detail about the various groups in the fight - but this movie showed me that Iraqis of many colors came together to liberate the city. Christian militias, Shia militias, Iranian militias, Kurds etc were all together...but knowing that Iraq is pretty much a tinder box waiting to explode, the movie reflects that this reality and while providing hope for the future unity of Iraq, it also provides a warning that things could go wrong again. The footage is amazing - as is the access the film crew had. The combat footage is gripping and is made all the more tense by the soundtrack. If you want to learn more about the fight against ISIS, this is a must-see movie. It tells the Iraqi side of the story and is an honest and emotional portrayal of the fight to rid Iraq of the horror that was ISIS.