Shock and Awe is a 2017 drama film directed by Rob Reiner and written by Joey Hartstone. The film is based on the true story of a group of journalists, Knight Ridder reporters Jonathan Landay and Warren Strobel, who were covering the Iraq War in 2003 and their skepticism with the George W. Bush administration's claims about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
The film stars Woody Harrelson as Landay, James Marsden as Strobel, Rob Reiner as Knight Ridder editor John Walcott, Jessica Biel as Washington Post reporter Lisa, Tommy Lee Jones as the founder of the neoconservative think tank PNAC, and Milla Jovovich as a US Army major who provides key details that contradict the Iraqi weapons claims.
The film shows how the journalists tried to verify the claims made by the Bush administration while facing resistance from their own editors, who did not want to challenge the White House's narrative. It also shows how the government used fear tactics to manipulate public opinion and how the media failed to hold the government accountable for the lies that led to the invasion of Iraq.
Overall, Shock and Awe is a powerful reminder of the importance of a free and independent press when it comes to questioning those in power and holding them accountable for their actions.