Who's in It: Alex Gibney (narrator)
The Basics: An Afghan taxi driver is detained by the U.S. military as a suspect in a rocket attack in 2002. A few days later, he is dead. This documentary never discusses his guilt or innocence. It concerns itself only with the interrogation of the ideas that that torture is ever a tactic that achieves the desired ends, and with the fact that the interrogation methods of the United States are now in violation of international laws, in spite of administration claims made we do not torture.
What's the Deal? This examination of how the we have employed torture tactics since Sept. 11, 2001 comes down to one quote from President Bush. Referencing some suspected terrorists who've died in U.S. custody, he refers to them as "suspects" and then admits that they're "no longer a problem to the United States." So, yes, it's infuriating, depressing and painful to look at. If you're a thinking citizen, however, you can't not pay attention to it.
Where the Title Comes From: A Dick Cheney quote about the need for "dark side" tactics to deal with terrorists. Of course, the film's verdict is that terrorism may destroy American democracy, but only because of the way the Bush administration has subverted its own professed values in the name of bringing the terrorists to justice.
Why Not Make It a Grueling Double Feature? With No End in Sight. Both are meticulous about building their case. Both films are clearly anti-war and anti-Bush. And both make sure that the cases they build use the administration's own words and actions against it. Basically, you pretty much have to be Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity or Bill O'Reilly to come after a movie like this.
Pedigree: From Alex Gibney, the director of Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room. It's an Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary.