HBO Max Just Added an 8-Part War Thriller for ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Fans
HBO Max has added *High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam*, an eight-part political thriller about the hunt for Saddam Hussein. The series follows a CIA officer reckoning with the US-led invasion of Iraq, exploring the political and moral questions behind the manhunt.
Joel Kinnaman plays a character based on a real CIA officer whose book inspired the show; Waleed Zuaiter plays Hussein, who was captured in 2003. The series first aired on TNT from 13 September to 4 October and has a 71% Rotten Tomatoes score. Its manhunt story may appeal to viewers of *Zero Dark Thirty* and *Unabomber*.
In short
- HBO Max added the eight-part thriller *High Value Target*.
- Joel Kinnaman plays a CIA officer pursuing Saddam Hussein.
- The series explores the US invasion of Iraq and its justification.
Explained simply
Saddam Hussein led Iraq from 1979 until the US-led invasion in 2003. The invasion followed years of conflict and international disputes over Iraq’s weapons programmes; US forces captured Hussein later that year.
The series centres on the CIA, the US intelligence agency, and an officer involved in the search for Hussein. Its subject touches on how the invasion and the pursuit were conducted, and on the political and moral questions raised by them.