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Documentary

Only the Dead (2015): Cast & Plot

Only the Dead (2015) movie poster

Only the Dead is a 2015 documentary directed by Bill Guttentag, starring Michael Ware. It runs 1 hour 18 minutes.

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Only the Dead (2015) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 18m (78 min)
Director
Bill Guttentag
Genre
Documentary
Original language
English
Studio
Foxtel
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Only the Dead About?

The premise of Only the Dead without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

This is a powerful and unsettling look at war through the eyes of correspondent Michael Ware. Over seven years, Ware embedded with combat forces in Iraq, documenting the conflict’s brutal realities. The film follows his extraordinary journey into the heart of the Iraq War, exploring the psychological toll it takes on soldiers and civilians alike, and prompting a profound examination of the true nature of war and its impact on the human spirit.

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Cast & crew

Only the Dead Cast

Michael Ware stars in Only the Dead. Directed by Bill Guttentag.

From the director

More from Bill Guttentag

More films directed by Bill Guttentag, best-rated first: Rule Breakers, Nanking, Soundtrack for a Revolution and Knife Fight.

Full filmography
Plot

Only the Dead Plot Summary

What happens in Only the Dead from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

The documentary opens in February 2003, just before the American invasion of Iraq. Michael Ware, a war correspondent for Time magazine, travels to the northern front to cover the conflict, embedded with Kurdish fighters as mortar fire ripples through the landscape and the aftermath of a deadly suicide bombing is documented. After American forces seize Baghdad, Ware helps set up a Time bureau in the city and begins a deep, on‑the‑ground chronicle of what unfolds.

He records the aftermath of a car bombing involving a teenage boy and his brother, capturing the surviving brother’s anguished demand for accountability and his vow to “do something big.”

do something big.

Full summary

The whole story of Only the Dead, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

Only the Dead Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Only the Dead.

Only The Dead Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Only the Dead?

9 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 9

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered

Which magazine did war correspondent Michael Ware work for during the Iraq War?

Details

Only the Dead Also Known As

5 alternative titles, including “Only the Dead See the End of War” and “Nur die Toten”.

Also known as
  • Only the Dead See the End of War
  • Nur die Toten
  • Solo i morti
  • Wiedzą tylko zmarli
  • 唯有死亡

Seen Only the Dead?

FAQ

Only the Dead FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Only the Dead, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Only the Dead?

Only the Dead runs 1 hour 18 minutes (78 minutes).

When was Only the Dead released?

Only the Dead was released on June 11, 2015.

Who directed Only the Dead?

Only the Dead was directed by Bill Guttentag.

More films by Bill Guttentag

Who is in the cast of Only the Dead?

Only the Dead stars Michael Ware.

Does Only the Dead have a post-credit scene?

No. Only the Dead has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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