Official Trailer for ‘Men of War’ Doc Film About a Venezuela Invasion
by Alex Billington
September 4, 2025
Source: YouTube
“I had the military in place, all we needed to do was coordinate.” Neon has revealed a new official trailer for a documentary film titled Men of War, a fascinating and unsettling look at a rogue military dude who tried to invade Venezuela and overthrow the government. Yes this really happened a few years ago. The film first premiered at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival last year and will be out on VOD to watch next week – I guess they’re capitalizing on the recent real world news about the US getting involved in Venezuela again. A former U.S. Green Beret is recruited to remove Venezuela’s president and after the mission fails, he is pursued by the government he faithfully served. For some reason the FBI goes after him. This riveting doc film Men of War chronicles the astonishing true story of what was called Operation Gideon—which is the failed 2020 coup attempt in Venezuela—and the covert network of ex-generals, mercenaries, and political operatives behind it. A gripping geopolitical documentary set in the shadows of modern regime change, Men of War is a shocking portrait of power, profit, and betrayal. This looks totally, massively crazy! What a story.
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Corben & Gatien’s doc Men of War, direct from Neon’s YouTube:
In May 2020, weeks after the U.S. placed a $15M bounty on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, around 60 Venezuelan dissidents, including two former U.S. Green Berets, attempted to reach Venezuela by boat in an effort to remove Maduro from power. Leading the mission was former Green Beret / private military contractor Jordan Goudreau, who branded himself as a real-life action hero & found himself at the center of an international political crisis. Blending tense, real-world drama with the complexity of an espionage thriller, Men of War unfolds through a dynamic mix of archival footage, new interviews, and exclusive prison recordings. The film pulls viewers inside a shadowy web of political double-crossing, covert deals, and shifting allegiances, tracing the path from a botched coup right on Venezuela’s shores to courtroom battles & global manhunts. With unprecedented access to key players on all sides, it reveals the hidden negotiations, betrayals, and high-stakes maneuvering that continue to shape the story in real time.
Men of War is co-directed by producers / doc filmmakers Billy Corben (director of the films Raw Deal: A Question of Consent, Cocaine Cowboys 1 & 2, Square Grouper, Limelight, Dawg Fight, Screwball, Magic City Hustle, 537 Votes, God Forbid) & Jen Gatien (producer on The Girl Is in Trouble, Dixieland, My Dead Boyfriend, Midnight Sun, The Big Take, Measure of Revenge). Produced by Alfred Spellman, Billy Corben & Jen Gatien. This initially premiered at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival last year. The film already opened in select theaters earlier this year. Neon debuts the Men of War doc on VOD starting September 9th, 2025.
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