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Syriana

Syriana

Everything is connected.

2005128 minRMidcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Director
Stephen Gaghan
Starring
George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright, Chris Cooper

The Middle Eastern oil industry is the backdrop of this tense drama, which weaves together numerous story lines. Bennett Holiday is an American lawyer in charge of facilitating a dubious merger of oil companies, while Bryan Woodman, a Switzerland-based energy analyst, experiences both personal tragedy and opportunity during a visit with Arabian royalty. Meanwhile, veteran CIA agent Bob Barnes uncovers an assassination plot with unsettling origins.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Syriana?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Syriana streaming on Howdy via The Roku Channel and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Syriana?

Syriana earns 9 badges, led by Oscar Winner and Award-winning performance.

Show 1 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Syriana worth watching?

Syriana's Midcredits score is the 75th percentile of all films, from 185K ratings across 6 sources. 67% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

75th percentile

Better received than 75% of films

78th percentile among Drama73rd percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)73rd
Approval (how many liked it)75th

68 /100

73rd percentile of all films

75th percentile among Drama72nd percentile among 2000s

Critics 76 · Audience 67

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.9 — solid but not unanimous.

67% liked it

75th percentile of all films

77th percentile among Drama73rd percentile among 2000s
67% rated it 7–1033% rated it 1–6

Critics 73% · Audience 67%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

1 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 12 wins / 29 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Writing, Original Screenplay

96th percentile

185K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Drama92nd percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 85% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$50M
Opening weekend$375K
Domestic gross$51M
Worldwide gross$94M

Returned 1.9× its budget — 97th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree that Syriana is an extremely complex, ambitious film about the oil industry and geopolitics that demands close attention and risks alienating viewers.

Fans praised

  • ambitious, multilayered geopolitical thriller that rewards patience
  • ensemble cast delivers strong, nuanced performances across the board
  • gritty, documentary-like realism and dense plotting mirror real-world complexity

Detractors panned

  • convoluted, incoherent narrative that is nearly impossible to follow
  • thin character development and lack of emotional engagement
  • pretentious, self-important film that confuses complexity with quality

What stands out

Acting78

performances praised as strong across ensemble, especially Clooney and Wright

AtmosphereDivisive78

immersive, tense world-building across Middle East and DC

OriginalityDivisive70

ambitious multi-thread structure, but derivative of Traffic

TensionDivisive68

some highly tense set pieces, but undermined by confusion

CharactersDivisive55

thinly written, many underdeveloped, motivations unclear

Plot and storyDivisive50

dense, intricate but convoluted and hard to follow

Emotional impactDivisive50

cold, detached; few characters evoke real feeling

PacingDivisive40

slow, fragmented, demands patience; detractors call it boring

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 20 points higher than women.

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 22 points higher than under-30s.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Critics vs users 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US 7 points apart

Watch experience

What is Syriana like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something to think about afterwards.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
TenseContemplativeDread
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Cynical · 1% of films
Told as
Hyperlink · 1% of films: Separate storylines that intersect by coincidence.Multiple perspectives · 2% of films: The same events retold from different characters' points of view.
ToneThe film treats its complex web of corruption with a grim, unblinking gravity, never winking at the audience.
The rideA persistent undercurrent of geopolitical tension builds through the middle and culminates in a devastating climax that leaves several characters dead or morally compromised.
StructureThe film intercuts four parallel storylines—CIA, lawyer, analyst, immigrant—that converge at key points, creating a hyperlink narrative.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingInfuriating · 4% of films: Leaves you angry at an injustice the film shows, never at the film.
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's portrayal of systemic corruption and moral compromise leaves the viewer angry and thinking about the global oil machine long after the credits.
How it ends · evidence
Cynical endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeSyriana weaves multiple stories of corruption in the oil industry; its ensemble cast and fragmented narrative resist a single plot archetype—the film is a mosaic of power struggles, not a hero's journey.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfCorruption
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% (this title) · Greed 3% (this title) · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% (this title) · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Corruption · 3% of filmsGreed · 3% of filmsBetrayal · 5% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film examines how the oil industry's pursuit of profit corrupts governments, corporations, and individuals on every level, from CIA officers to migrant workers.
StanceThe film presents systemic corruption not as an exception but as the normal operating logic of the oil industry, warning that this system causes suffering from the boardroom to the suicide bomber.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanWildernessDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernWorldSupportive music · original score · Alexandre Desplat
SettingGlobal oil industry: Middle East, Washington DC, Geneva, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Pakistan
MusicDesplat's score blends Middle Eastern instrumentation with brooding strings, mirroring the film's geopolitical tensions.

Content guide

Is Syriana okay for kids?

R

Syriana is rated R: “Rated R for violence and language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (69/100), sexual content at minimal (7/100), language at intense (73/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (26/100) and frightening material at intense (67/100). Its drug and alcohol content has too few votes to rank. Overall it is heavier than 42% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 18 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany12
  • Ireland15
  • JapanG
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • Austria12
  • Czechia18+
  • Denmark15
  • Greece15
  • Hungary18
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands16
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/12
  • RO15
  • Switzerland12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 65% of all filmsHeavier than 42% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 49%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 2%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 61%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 57%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language, violence, and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Syriana have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Syriana?

Cast

4 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor; George Clooney won the Oscar for this film.

George Clooney
as Bob Barnes
Oscar win: Academy Award — Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Matt Damon
as Bryan Woodman
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jeffrey Wright
as Bennett Holiday
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Chris Cooper
as Jimmy Pope
Amanda Peet
as Julie Woodman
William Hurt
as Stan
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Christopher Plummer
as Dean Whiting
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Alexander Siddig
as Prince Nasir Al-Subaai
Kayvan Novak
as Arash
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Amr Waked
as Mohammed Sheik Agiza
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Syriana?

Movies like Syriana include Traffic (2000), The International (2009) and Margin Call (2011). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films written or directed by Stephen Gaghan, and several are conspiracy stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

7 of these 12 share its world: high finance. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Syriana?

930 other films share the rarest tag below, follows: spy. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.