Released in 2016 and directed by Todd Phillips, War Dogs tells the unbelievable real life story of two young men who somehow became international arms dealers during the Iraq War. Phillips was mostly known for comedies before this film, but here he mixes dark humor, crime drama, and satire together in a way that works surprisingly well.
Miles Teller stars as David Packouz, a struggling guy in Miami trying to make money and support his girlfriend. Teller plays David as somebody mostly normal at first, which helps ground the movie while everything around him becomes more chaotic and ridiculous.
Jonah Hill plays Efraim Diveroli, and honestly he steals the entire movie. Hill turns Efraim into this loud, manipulative, reckless hustler who somehow feels funny and dangerous at the same time. Every scene with him has unpredictable energy because the character constantly feels one bad decision away from disaster.
The plot follows David reconnecting with Efraim, who has figured out how to bid on small Pentagon weapons contracts. At first the jobs are minor, but the money starts growing fast, and before long they are involved in international deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
One thing that makes the movie so fascinating is knowing most of this actually happened. The idea that two inexperienced young guys could end up operating inside the global arms business sounds completely insane, but that real life absurdity gives the film much of its appeal.
Bradley Cooper appears in a smaller but important role as Henry Girard, an experienced international arms dealer tied to much bigger operations. Cooper brings a calm intensity to the role that immediately changes the tone whenever he appears on screen.
Todd Phillips directs the movie with a flashy style clearly inspired by films like Goodfellas and The Wolf of Wall Street. There is narration, quick editing, loud music, and moments designed to make the characters seem larger than life. Sometimes the style pushes a little too hard, but overall it fits the story well.
The chemistry between Jonah Hill and Miles Teller is probably the movie’s biggest strength. Hill brings nonstop chaotic energy while Teller slowly becomes more uncomfortable as the consequences of their actions become harder to ignore.
The film is also genuinely funny throughout. A lot of the comedy comes from how casually reckless these characters are while dealing with extremely dangerous situations. Watching them stumble through international weapons deals while acting like immature kids creates some great moments.
At the same time, the movie does not completely ignore the darker side of the story. As the money grows, greed and ego slowly destroy the friendship between David and Efraim. That emotional collapse gives the film more depth than people might expect going in.
Some scenes become surprisingly tense, especially once the characters start operating in dangerous parts of the world. The Iraq convoy sequence stands out because it suddenly reminds the audience these guys are playing with very real risks.
Now yes, parts of War Dogs are definitely a little corny. Certain slow motion shots and narration moments try a bit too hard to look cool. But honestly, that exaggerated style almost fits the personalities of the characters themselves because Efraim especially sees himself as some kind of untouchable legend.
In the end, War Dogs remains a modern classic to me because it is funny, chaotic, tense, and incredibly rewatchable. Jonah Hill gives one of the best performances of his career, the true story behind the film makes everything even crazier, and Todd Phillips keeps the pacing sharp from beginning to end. Even with some corniness and over stylized moments, the movie still works because the energy never disappears and the story itself is almost impossible to believe actually happened.