Log in
The Dark Side

The Dark Side

"We also have to work the dark side...we've got to spend time in the shadows..."

2006 · 84 min · ★ 10.0 · Documentary

On Sept. 11, 2001, deep inside a White House bunker, Vice President Dick Cheney was ordering U.S. fighter planes to shoot down any commercial airliner still in the air above America. At that moment, CIA Director George Tenet was meeting with his counter-terrorism team in Langley, Virginia. Both leaders acted fast, to prepare their country for a new kind of war. But soon a debate would grow over the goals of the war on terror, and the decision to go to war in Iraq. Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and others saw Iraq as an important part of a broader plan to remake the Middle East and project American power worldwide. Meanwhile Tenet, facing division in his own organization, saw non-state actors such as Al Qaeda as the highest priority. FRONTLINE’s investigation of the ensuing conflict includes more than 40 interviews, thousands of pages of documentary evidence, and a substantial photographic archive.

Directed by Michael Kirk · Written by Michael Kirk

Your Rating

Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 17m together

The Dark Side

Netanyahu at War

Both from Michael Kirk.

More from Michael KirkSee all →

The War CabinetThe War Cabinet · 2026
The War Cabinet
★ 9.32026
MovieDocumentary
Rubio. Vance. Wiles. Gabbard. Hegseth. Miller. These are some of the key players behind President Donald Trump's expansive use of the U.S. military. FRONTLINE examines the inner circle of advisors and officials trying to project U.S. power, from clashes with allies, to taking out foreign leaders, to waging war in the Middle East. • "The War Cabinet"
United States of SecretsUnited States of Secrets · 2014
United States of Secrets
★ 9.02014
SeriesDocumentaryCrime
FRONTLINE reveals the dramatic inside story of how the U.S. government came to monitor and collect the communications of millions of people around the world, and the lengths they went to as they tried to hide this massive surveillance program from the public. The series is gripping viewing for those who want to understand the context of the Snowden affair—and what it means for all Americans.
Trump's Power & the Rule of LawTrump's Power & the Rule of Law · 2025
Trump's Power & the Rule of Law
★ 8.52025
MovieDocumentary
FRONTLINE goes inside the high-stakes showdown between President Donald Trump and the courts over presidential power. Trump allies, opponents and experts talk about how he is testing the extent of his power; the legal pushback; and the impact on the rule of law.
President BidenPresident Biden · 2021
President Biden
★ 8.02021
MovieDocumentary
FRONTLINE tells the story of how crisis and tragedy prepared Joe Biden to become America’s next president. Those who know him best describe the searing moments that shaped President-elect Biden and what those challenges reveal about how he will govern.
Netanyahu at WarNetanyahu at War · 2016
Netanyahu at War
★ 8.02016
MovieDocumentary
The inside story of the bitter clash between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Amid violence in the Middle East, the film traces Netanyahu's rise to power and his high-stakes fight with the president over Iran's nuclear program.
League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion CrisisLeague of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis · 2013
League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis
★ 7.52013
MovieDocumentaryHistory
Drawing on the book of the same name, League of Denial crafts a searing two-hour indictment of the National Football League’s decades-long concealment of the link between football related head injuries and brain disorders.
The Choice 2024: Harris vs. TrumpThe Choice 2024: Harris vs. Trump · 2024
The Choice 2024: Harris vs. Trump
★ 7.42024
MovieDocumentaryHistory
The documentary investigates the lives and characters of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump as they seek the presidency. In a historic election, those who know the candidates best reveal key moments that shape how they would lead America. Award-winning filmmaker Michael Kirk and his team sat down with Trump and Harris’ friends, advisors and critics, as well as authors, journalists and political insiders to present deeply reported narrative arcs of both candidates’ lives, going all the way back to their childhoods. What emerges in FRONTLINE's "The Choice 2024: Harris vs. Trump" is the story of two fighters: One seeking vindication and promising a return to greatness, and the other seeking to move beyond the past and promising a greater future.
The Choice 2020: Trump vs. BidenThe Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden · 2020
The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden
★ 7.22020
MovieDocumentaryHistory
A look into what has shaped President Donald Trump and presidential candidate Joe Biden, where they came from and how they lead.
Lies, Politics and DemocracyLies, Politics and Democracy · 2022
Lies, Politics and Democracy
★ 7.02022
MovieDocumentary
Frontline’s season premiere investigates American political leaders and choices they’ve made that have undermined and threatened democracy in the U.S. In a two-hour documentary special premiering ahead of the 2022 midterms, Frontline examines how officials fed the public lies about the 2020 presidential election and embraced rhetoric that led to political violence.
Danger! Women at WorkDanger! Women at Work · 1943
Danger! Women at Work
★ 6.51943
MovieComedy
Three women inherit a 10-ton truck and decide to go into business. Hi jinks ensue.
FrontlineFrontline · 1983
Frontline
★ 6.51983
SeriesDocumentaryNews
Since it began in 1983, Frontline has been airing public-affairs documentaries that explore a wide scope of the complex human experience. Frontline's goal is to extend the impact of the documentary beyond its initial broadcast by serving as a catalyst for change.
Putin and the PresidentsPutin and the Presidents · 2023
Putin and the Presidents
★ 6.02023
MovieDocumentary
FRONTLINE investigates Russian President Vladimir Putin’s clashes with multiple American presidents as he’s tried to rebuild the Russian empire. Veteran filmmaker Michael Kirk (Putin’s Revenge, Putin’s Road to War) and his team trace the miscalculations and missteps of U.S. presidents over five administrations, culminating in Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The GrudgeThe Grudge · 2004
The Grudge
★ 5.92004
MovieHorrorMystery
An American nurse living and working in Tokyo is exposed to a mysterious supernatural curse, one that locks a person in a powerful rage before claiming their life and spreading to another victim.
The Grudge 2The Grudge 2 · 2006
The Grudge 2
★ 5.62006
MovieHorrorThriller
A young woman encounters a malevolent supernatural force while searching for her missing sister in Tokyo, a mean high school prank goes horribly wrong, and strange things begin happening in a Chicago apartment building.
American PornAmerican Porn · 2002
American Porn
★ 5.02002
MovieDocumentary
It's one of the hottest industries in America. Easier to order at home than a pizza, bigger than rock music, it's arguably the most profitable enterprise in cyberspace. AT&T has been in the business. Yahoo! has profited from it. Westin and Marriott have made more money selling it than selling snacks and drinks in their mini-bars. And with estimates as high as $10 billion a year, it boasts the kind of earnings that most American businesses would envy. It's pornography.
EndgameEndgame · 2007
Endgame
★ 5.02007
MovieDocumentary
As the United States begins one final effort to secure victory through a “surge” of troops, FRONTLINE investigates how strategic and tactical mistakes brought Iraq to civil war. The film recounts how the early mandate to create the conditions for a quick exit of the American military led to chaos, failure, and sectarian strife. In Endgame, producer Michael Kirk (Rumsfeld’s War, The Torture Question, The Dark Side, and The Lost Year in Iraq) traces why the president decided to risk what military planners once warned could be the worst way to fight in Iraq — door-to-door — and assesses the likelihood of its success. Top administration figures, military commanders, and journalists offer inside details about the new strategy.

More Like This

9/119/11 · 2002
9/11
★ 7.92002
MovieDocumentary
An on-the-scene documentary following the events of September 11, 2001 from an insider's view, through the lens of two French filmmakers who simply set out to make a movie about a rookie NYC fireman and ended up filming the tragic event that changed our lives forever.
Zeitgeist: The MovieZeitgeist: The Movie · 2007
Zeitgeist: The Movie
★ 7.02007
MovieDocumentaryHistory
A documentary examining possible historical and modern conspiracies surrounding Christianity, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the Federal Reserve bank.
Zeitgeist: AddendumZeitgeist: Addendum · 2008
Zeitgeist: Addendum
★ 7.22008
MovieDocumentaryHistory
Director Peter Joseph examines examples of economic subjugation and offers solutions based on alignment with nature.
Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? · 2008
Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?
★ 6.22008
MovieDocumentary
Morgan Spurlock tours the Middle East to discuss the war on terror with Arabic people.
9/11: Inside the President's War Room9/11: Inside the President's War Room · 2021
9/11: Inside the President's War Room
★ 6.92021
MovieDocumentaryHistory
Experience the events of September 11, 2001 through the eyes of President Bush and his closest advisors as they personally detail the crucial hours and key decisions from that historic day.
Chaos: The Manson MurdersChaos: The Manson Murders · 2025
Chaos: The Manson Murders
★ 6.12025
MovieDocumentaryCrime
In August 1969, Charles Manson's followers killed seven people on his orders. Why? Explore a conspiracy of mind control, CIA experiments, and murder.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter