WARFARE is a 2025 war drama film written and directed by Iraq War Veteran Ray Mendoza and Civil War’s Alex Garland. Garland is a very talented director who recently blew audiences away with the war drama CIVIL WAR (our full review here), and this collaboration with Mendoza looks to have audiences in for quite a treat.
A platoon of Navy SEALs embark on a dangerous mission in Ramadi, Iraq, with the chaos and brotherhood of war retold through their memories of the event.
The cast includes D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, Taylor John Smith, Michael Gandolfini, Adain Bradley, Noah Centineo, Evan Holtzman, Henrique Zaga, Joseph Quinn, and Charles Melton.
WARFARE made its debut in theaters April 11th, courtesy of A24.
I absolutely love a good war drama, whether we are talking PLATOON, BLACK HAWK DOWN, or one of my more recent favorites THE HURT LOCKER, they just suck me right in and the experience sticks with me. The films I mentioned are very intense, and although a big focus is on the gunfire and explosions in the battlefield, they do a fantastic job touching on the emotional toll it has on the men and women fighting to protect our freedom. When the first trailer dropped for WARFARE I simply could not wait for this movie to come out. I will watch anything A24 touches, but this movie just had a unique feel of a special cinematic experience. I had to see this on the biggest screen possible so I made my way to the IMAX for the early release screening, and boy was it worth it.
WARFARE opens with the speakers blaring as this platoon of Navy SEALs bond as they watch the music video for the 2004 hit song Call on Me, by Eric Prydz. It was such a cool way for the film to open as viewers had an opportunity to see these men as human beings; sons, brothers, husbands, fathers, before they embark on a mission that will change their lives forever. Soon after we find ourselves in the streets of Iraq on an eerily quiet night with nothing but sporadic gunshots erupting in the distance.
It is hard to explain how it feels to be watching a movie like this on a giant IMAX screen in complete silence, knowing that it is only a matter of time before the audio in the theater erupts. WARFARE does an incredible job setting the stage for this mission as everything happens in real-time, and by the time the film ends you will feel like you were right there with them.
I was blown away, simple as that. This is the story of a carefully planned mission that took a tragic turn, quickly shifting to a battle of survival. It really didn’t matter if it was a veteran of two tours or a guy experiencing his first action, you saw the fear on the faces of these men as they sacrificed their own well being in an effort to save their brothers. During an explosion, I damn near jumped out of my seat because it was so unexpected and I was just beyond immersed in what was happening on-screen.
WARFARE is incredibly intense and the gunfire will be ringing in your ears long after you leave the theater. I thought the entire cast was nothing short of amazing, with a big shoutout to Will Poulter and Cosmo Jarvis for their performances. Director Alex Garland is a beast behind the camera, and his collaboration with Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza is a match made in heaven, simple as that. The film ends with a tribute to the men who fought in this battle and it was pure perfection. I can’t wait to see it again.
THE VERDICT
A fast-paced and absolutely bone-chilling war drama from the perspective of the brave men who lived it, WARFARE puts viewers in the streets of Ramadi, Iraq, creating a uniquely immersive experience you won’t soon forget. You need to see this movie on the biggest screen possible in order to fully appreciate the masterpiece that Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza have created. WARFARE is on another level as a war drama film, and this is absolutely a movie I will be adding to my 4K Blu-ray collection. What are you waiting for, go see it!
TED TAKES RATING - 9.8/10
WARFARE is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.