Zero Dark Thirty! and the Hurt Locker were made by same production team, including the director and screenwriter. Although they feature different actors, the overall quality of acting iis also consistent, as measured by Academy Award nominations for the lead characters in each film. Where they differ is in their political bias in how they present their stories, in which the post 9/11 U.S. war against terror is the backdrop. Same quality movies, different message. Check out the box office differences.