History Film / WarDogs

** Efraim's speech to the AEY employees, including referencing the cars he and David have, is a shoutout to Ben Affleck's speech in ''Film/BoilerRoom'' which was in turn inspired by ''Film/GlengarryGlennRoss''.

* Foreshadowing: We're twice shown how adeptly Ephraim lies on the phone, first imitating an Army officer and then lying ''to'' an Army officer. The [[RuleOfThree third time]], [[spoiler: he does it ''to Dave'', assuring him he'll stay away from Girard, as he walks into Dave's office and destroys their partnership agreement.]]

* CaliforniaDoubling: The ArmsDealer convention David and Efraim attend in UsefulNotes/LasVegas is held in the UsefulNotes/LosAngeles Convention Center.

* ArmsDealer: David and Efraim are Corporate Lobbyists, and pretty shady ones at that; David notes that they didn't have a bookkeeper in their early years, and when it came time to be audited by the federal government in order to secure a contract, they had to falsify their records.
** Henry Girard is an established legend in the field.

* CompositeCharacter: Specifically mentioned in a title card at the end [[JustifiedTrope done for dramatic purposes]]. For example, David and Efraim's vocal opposition to UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror comes from an AdaptedOut third player Alex Podrizki.

* CoolShades[=/=]SinisterShades: Henry Girard, who never takes off his sunglasses.
** Efraim is also a big fan of shades, and tries to buy some off of the Jordanian smugglers.

* FatBastard: Ephraim
* HollywoodHistory

* IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace: The specific area of Iraq the boys run their Beretta shipment through is referred to as "the Triangle of Death." [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_of_Death_%28Iraq%29 It is a REAL place]].
** Even worse when David and Efraim find out they're in Fallujah.

* ShoutOut: In-Universe, Efraim has a poster and makes various references and homages to ''[[Film/Scarface1983 Scarface]]'', a favorite film of his and David's childhood.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''Film/PainAndGain''. Both dark comedies based on articles and showcase the dark side of the American Dream. Both even share the same highly-saturated color scheme.

* AdaptationalAttractiveness: zigzagged based on [[http://img.wennermedia.com/article-leads-horizontal/rs-233814-arms17n-2-web-e7d11284-2450-41d6-8c70-1ccab13742b6.jpg this photo of the real David and Efraim]].
* AKA47: while Beretta is referred to directly, its Brazilian copy, the Taurus [=PT99=], is called "Corvis [=TP19=]" in the movie.

* {{Biopic}}: The film chronicles the rise and eventual Downfall of David, Efraim, and their company AEY, Inc. Their downfall, brought on by selling illegal Chinese weapons to the U.S. government, is relatively soft, however; Efraim gets four years in prison, David gets seven months' house arrest, and AEY, Inc. will be able to bid on defense contracts again by 2022.

* DeadpanSnarker: The {{FBI}} agent with an entire raid team in the lobby of David and Efraim's apartment complex when the doors of the elevator David and Efraim are riding in opens.

* NoEnding: Henry Girard meets David at a hotel to make amends over Albania, where he was operating on "bad information." He opens a suitcase of money and offers it to David... and the movie just ends. We don't know if David took it or not.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: David outright states that his Albanian driver, Bashkim, just up and disappeared off the face of the earth. He asks Henry Girard directly if he had something to do with this, implying he was killed, but Girard just states, "no more questions" and the movie ends.

''War Dogs'' is a 2016 BasedOnATrueStory TheCaper movie starring Creator/JonahHill and Creator/MilesTeller, and directed by Creator/ToddPhillips. Based on the ''Literature/RollingStone'' article "[[Literature/TheAeneid Arms and the]] [[PunBasedTitle Dudes]]" by Guy Lawson, it follows twentysomething gunrunners David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli as they exploit TheWarOnTerror for personal profit.

* CaliforniaDoubling: The arms dealer convention David and Efraim attend in UsefulNotes/LasVegas is held in the UsefulNotes/LosAngeles Convention Center.

* DeadpanSnarker: The {{FBI}} agent waiting for David and Efraim in the lobby of their apartment complex with an entire raid team

* DisproportionateRetribution: During a meeting with prospective staff, Efraim fires one of the prospects simply for correcting him about what "IBM" stands for.

* MoreDakka: Efraim responds to a supposed pot dealer ripping him off by firing an extended burst from a submachine gun into the air. Twice.

* CaliforniaDoubling: The arms dealer convention David and Efraim attend in LasVegas is held in the LosAngeles Convention Center.
* CompositeCharacter: Specifically mentioned in a title card at the end [[JustifiedTrope done for dramatic purposes]]. For example, David and Efraim's vocal opposition to TheWarOnTerror comes from an AdaptedOut third player Alex Podrizki.

* CoolShades / SinisterShades: Henry Girard, who never takes off his sunglasses.

** David and Efraim never went to Iraq. [[note]] That event comes from a different real-life incident involving other people, documented by the screenwriter.[[/note]]

* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler: Efraim shows shades of being one early on; David describes him as a chameleon who's able to be whatever people want him to be. By the end of the film, after he's almost gotten him killed and tried to erase evidence of their partnership, David comes to the conclusion that he was never even his friend.]]

* [[ActorAllusion Director Allusion]]: A soft, acoustic song with inappropriate lyrics? [[note]]In this case, the real-life David Pakouz singing "Don't Fear the Reaper." To [[CrossesTheLineTwice retirees near death.]][[/note]] Must be a Todd Phillips movie.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''Film/PainAndGain''. Both dark comedies based on articles and showcase the dark side of the American Dream. Both even share the same highly-saturated color scheme

* [[ActorAllusion Director Allusion]]: A soft, acoustic song with inappropriate lyrics? [[note: In this case, the real-life David Pakouz singing "Don't Fear the Reaper." To [[CrossesTheLineTwice retirees near death.]]]] Must be a Todd Phillips movie.

** David and Efraim never went to Iraq. [[note: That event comes from a different real-life incident involving other people, documented by the screenwriter.]]

** David and Efraim never went to Iraq

* RealPersonCameo: The real David Packouz is the musician playing for the residens of the retirement home where David tries to sell his bedsheets.

* AmbiguouslyJewish: Both David and Efraim are casual-to-lapsed Orthodox Jews.

* DeadpanSnarker: the {{FBI}} agent waiting for David and Efraim in the lobby of their apartment complex with an entire raid team

* RaceLift: zigzagged {{Spexico}} version with Iz, who's a Spaniard in real life but played by a Cubana in the movie.

* OnlyInFlorida: they're from UsefulNotes/{{Miami}}.

* AmbiguouslyJewish: both David and Efraim are casual-to-lapsed Orthodox Jews.
* CaliforniaDoubling: the arms dealer convention David and Efraim attend in LasVegas is held in the LosAngeles Convention Center.
* CompositeCharacter: specifically mentioned in a title card at the end [[JustifiedTrope done for dramatic purposes]]. For example, David and Efraim's vocal opposition to TheWarOnTerror comes from an AdaptedOut third player Alex Podrizki.

* MistakenForProstitute: an occupational hazard David suffers as a masseur. [[MistakenForGay And from male clients, too]].

* RealPersonCameo: the real David Packouz is the musician playing for the residens of the retirement home where David tries to sell his bedsheets.
* ShoutOut: In-Universe, Ephraim has a poster and makes various references and homages to ''[[Film/Scarface1983 Scarface]]'', a favorite film of his and David's childhood.

* RaceLift: zigzagged {{Spexico}} version with Iz, who's a Spaniard in real life but played by a Cubana in the movie.