Civil War is a 2024 epic war film written and directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation). The film premiered at the South By Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas, on March 14th, 2024.
In the near future, a group of war journalists attempt to survive while reporting the truth as the United States stands on the brink of civil war.
The film stars Kirsten Dunst (Spider-Man, The Power of the Dog), Wagner Moura (Narcos, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Lady Bird, Dune), Cailee Spaeny (Bad Times at the El Royale, Priscilla), and Jefferson White (Yellowstone).
Civil War made its debut in theaters April 12th, courtesy of A24.
THE GOOD
I could hardly contain my excitement I was so pumped for this movie, and let me just start by saying it did not disappoint. I will follow A24 to the ends of the Earth when it comes to the movies they attach their name to, but this had to be on another level for me after seeing the trailers. Civil War is an intense and very unique cinematic experience that I honestly enjoyed from start to finish. It wasn’t the non-stop action some might expect considering the premise, but instead the film is much more intimate as the events unfold from the perspective of a group of war journalists.
I honestly loved how they decided to approach the film and felt like it gave a certain authenticity to what transpired on-screen especially considering it could have easily felt either too political or just too over-the-top. Civil War is about self-preservation and the willingness to accept what has become a grim reality. Now don’t get me wrong the film is very intense and includes some fantastic action sequences, but trust me when I say that the more intimate scenes are what viewers will be thinking about when they head home from the theater.
The story for Civil War was a big bright spot for me, but for slightly different reasons than I initially expected although I already had high expectations with Alex Garland writing the screenplay. Now the idea of a present-day Civil War was an obvious selling point in terms of the shock factor it offered and just the overall “could this really happen?!” part of things, but the film really does a fantastic job of allowing viewers the opportunity to experience what is happening without telling them how to feel about it, if that makes any sense at all.
I found myself thinking about the backstory of these characters and what got them to this moment, which added a great deal of weight to what was happening and how it impacted them. It was made pretty clear that these characters had seen some pretty messed up things throughout their careers as war journalists, but to now be experiencing something similar in the place that was suppose to be their safe haven added incredible depth to the film.
As far as the screenplay it is pretty obvious what is happening but Garland opted to not spend too much time on the specifics as far as how we got to this point, and I thought that was the right approach because it allowed viewers the opportunity to connect the dots on their own while feeling all of the emotions the characters were feeling. Civil War could have easily focused more on the action element and still offered up a very entertaining experience, but I think they made the right decision by delivering a film that really hit that much harder well beyond the gunfire and explosions. It is sort of hard to effectively describe the surreal the experience the film provides.
I won’t give anything away of course but at one point the group encounters a sniper and his spotter in full on ghillie suits with their rifle pointing at a building that the group just encountered fire from as they drive through. The group stops and takes cover and begins to engage in conversation with the two men asking who they are getting their orders from, and they reply nobody is giving us orders, this guy is trying to kill us and we are trying to kill him. When asked who he is they respond by saying they have no idea. This interaction stuck with me and sort of felt like a culmination of the films underlying message. I went in assuming that the film may come across as a bit political but somehow Garland found a way to avoid seeming to obvious in that sense and instead creating a terrifying not-that-far-fetched reality that will leave viewers equally entertained and uneasy. Garland is a fantastic storyteller and he proved that yet again here.
The cast for Civil War was absolutely fantastic. With Kirsten Dunst and Wagner Moura leading the way, the acting was a big reason why the film is able to hit so hard. The core of the premise is the connection between this group of veteran war journalists and the bond they have as they embark on uncharted territory. Dunst portrays a seemingly unflinching war journalist who has seen it all, but even she can’t help but be shaken by encountering the same thing she witnessed in third world countries on U.S. soil.
Dunst perfectly displays the emotions of a woman who has committed her entire life to her work to the point where it is all she knows. Moura was fantastic as well and the chemistry he had with Dunst was a big reason why the film worked so well. He brought a certain level of confidence and charisma to his character, so when you started to see how much the events of the film were beginning to really impact him it stood that much more. The film does not hit as hard as it does without the performances delivered by Dunst and Moura, simple as that.
Now with that being said, two other performances were big as well and they were delivered by legendary actor Stephen McKinley Henderson and Cailee Spaeny. Spaeny plays a wet-behind-the-ears and incredibly eager war journalist who is determined to follow in the footsteps of Kirsten Dunst’s character. Early on it is clear that she looks up to Dunst but viewers are also given this feeling that there is more to the story. I personally enjoyed her character and felt that she epitomized the roller coaster of emotions throughout the film. What can I honestly say about McKinley Henderson that hasn’t already been said, the man knows no bounds. He plays the veteran journalist who is unwilling to let go of this career that he has dedicated his entire life to, and to be honest I had chills the majority of the time he was on-screen. He is always incredible and once again delivers here.
I won’t spend too much more time talking about the performances, but I do need to touch on my guy Jessie Plemons and what he meant to the film. Now his role is essentially confined to just one scene, but to say that this was the most emotionally charged scene in the entire film would not be an understatement. Plemons and his signature red sunglasses will terrify you for so many reasons, and even though I had an idea of what to expect from the trailer I still wasn’t prepared.
After I left the theater it was really his face that I was seeing when I thought about Civil War, and that is a testament to his ability as an actor as well as the screenplay finding a way to shake viewers without the need for special effects, and that is pretty damn impressive. Even more crazy is the fact that Plemons joined the cast just days before shooting his scene after the original actor dropped out. Plemons was recommended to Alex Garland by Dunst, who also happens to be his wife. I also have to give a shoutout to Nick Offerman who plays a role that was very unique for him but he delivers as always. Although he had a small role it was cool to see Yellowstone’s Jefferson White in the film.
On the technical side of things Civil War is nothing short of fantastic. Whether we are referring to the guns blazing final act or some of the more intimate action sequences, the film always feels authentic. I really liked the scenes where you were on the edge-of-your-seat anticipating what was going to happen next. I loved the production value and the cinematography making for quite a haw-dropping experience, including seeing downed military helicopters in parking lots or a highway littered with abandoned vehicles. Cinematographer Rob Hardy worked with director Alex Garland on his sci-fi thriller Annihilation, and once again he proved his worth.
Speaking of Garland, this dude is really making a name for himself as someone who just has a vision and does whatever he needs to do to make that vision a reality. I am blown away by his versatility as a director considering deliver epic sci-fi films like Annihilation which I already mentioned and the 2014 film Ex Machina, while also completely changing course with his 2022 horror drama Men (our full review here). Clearly he has an appreciation for a variety of genres when it comes to film, but more importantly his ability to create such an immersive on-screen experience that always feels big and alive definitely seems to be his trademark. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors. It was also important for the film to have a soundtrack and score that kept up with the intense feel of the film, and I felt like Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury absolutely delivered.
THE BAD
I had very few issues with this film. I really liked the direction Garland went with Civil War in terms of the story unfolding from the perspective of the war journalists, but I do feel like the trailers could be a bit misleading. For example the film is not non-stop action so viewers expecting that may be disappointed. Instead the overall feel is much more personal but in no way is that a knock on the film, as Kristen Dunst said in an interview it somehow feels like a big-budget blockbuster while still having that indie film feel which I thought was a great way to describe it.
THE VERDICT
A thought-provoking and unflinchingly volatile war drama featuring stellar performances and a uniquely intimate feel, Alex Garland’s Civil War is an absolute must-see and A24’s highest grossing film for a reason. This movie will rock viewers right to their very core, and that is the point. Garland isn’t coming at you with political views or anything like that, instead he gives viewers a front row seat to the unthinkable yet not so far-fetched reality of a war amongst ourselves. Civil War is a fantastic film and I highly recommend seeing it in theaters.
TED TAKES RATING - 8.9/10
Civil War is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.