Zero Dark Thirty, Kathryn Bigelow's acclaimed 2012 war film dramatising the hunt for Osama bin Laden, has become an unexpected streaming hit on Apple TV, officially ranking in the platform's top ten most-watched films in the United States. The film's resurgence demonstrates the enduring appeal of modern warfare cinema and marks a significant return to prominence for a picture that already achieved substantial critical and commercial success upon its original release.

The film secured five Academy Award nominations including Best Film Editing and Best Actress for Jessica Chastain's acclaimed performance as CIA operative Maya, with Chastain's portrayal earning particular praise for anchoring both the film's emotional and thematic core. Zero Dark Thirty features an impressive ensemble cast including James Gandolfini, Chris Pratt, Joel Edgerton and Mark Strong, and notably helped Bigelow make history as the first female director to win the Best Director Oscar (a distinction that has only occurred three times in nearly a century). The film's 2013 tie for Best Sound Editing with Skyfall underscores its technical achievements, positioning it amongst the finest war films of the past two decades.