Is War Dogs based on a true story?

The truth is often stranger than fiction, they say. But once in a while, a movie comes out that seems like it could be a little bit of both. The 2016 dark comedy War Dogs is definitely one of those films.

Now that the Todd Phillips film has finally made its way to Netflix, the question must be asked: Is War Dogs based on a true story, or is it a work of great fiction? Before we get to the answer, here’s the premise.

What is War Dogs about?

Netflix describes the plot as:

"A massage therapist gets in over his head when he partners with a charismatic childhood pal in the lucrative but shady business of global arms dealing."

Is War Dogs based on true events?

As noted by Screen Rant, War Dogs is based on a true story. However, several events and details in the film were dreamed up by those behind the scenes, mostly for comedic purposes. So while it’s definitely based on real people and real events, some of the scenarios never happened. And a few were definitely fabricated. But as Screen Rant points out, “there are a lot of things War Dogs gets right.”

Starring Jonah Hill and Miles Teller, the comedy-crime film recounts the true story of Efraim Diveroli and David Packouz, and how they became mega-wealthy weapon traders seemingly overnight. In case you missed what really went down, two men in their 20s unwittingly landed a $300 million contract supplying guns to American allies stationed in Afghanistan.

When things went wrong, an unlikely adventure followed for the lifelong pals. In a precarious position, they were given a crash course in the darker side of politics, international security, and other dark dealings they previously knew nothing about. That is, before the course of their lives were changed forever.

You can read the detailed true story via Rolling Stone here.

The Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus says that War Dogs “rises on the strength of Jonah Hill’s compelling performance to take a lightly entertaining look at troubling real-world events.” And we’d tend to agree with that take.

In the 2016 film, the foundation for this real but truly surreal story remains intact, even if the writers took creative liberties here and there.

So if you’re looking for a mostly true war-crime story with comedic flair and topnotch acting, this one might be for you. You can check out the trailer below and stream the film on Netflix.