'Captivating' war series that is 'tough to watch' has 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes

A war series has been described as "captivating" but "tough to watch" by viewers, and it has an impressive 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Love+War is a 2025 American documentary film directed and produced by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. It explores the life and career of photojournalist Lynsey Addario. It had its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and first aired on National Geographic.

The series synopsis reads: "Pulitzer Prize-winning Lynsey Addario has risked her life to capture the stark realities of war -- from the Middle East and Afghanistan to Ukraine. From National Geographic Documentary Films and Academy Award-winning filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Love+War chronicles Addario's ascent in the male-dominated world of conflict photography. But her work is dangerous. She's been kidnapped twice while on assignment in war zones -- a cost she must wrestle with each time she leaves her husband and two sons to go on assignment. Behind the camera, Addario is torn between her unwavering commitment to the essential work of journalism and the powerful, competing demands of motherhood, grappling with what it truly means to follow your calling when it threatens everything you love."

Critics have taken to Rotten Tomatoes to share their thoughts on the series, with one writing that the documentary was "heartfelt, captivating and illuminating".

One wrote: "Tough to watch and endlessly compelling, Love+War is a fascinating look at a spectacular life and a challenge for the viewer to confront upsetting truths."

Another reviewer said: "Filmmakers Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi create a remarkably engaging portrait."

Another critic added: "This hugely revealing film leaves you amazed that any person can muster such bravery and resilience. But it also captures the matter-of-fact day-to-day nature of Addario's work, which the filmmakers refuse to romanticise."

"A fascinating documentary about Addario, the famed war photographer, and more specifically, about how she juggles being a wife and mother, with going off to work in Ukraine, and some of the world's other most dangerous places," said a fourth.

Love+War is available to stream on Disney+.