Warfare might tell the story of a true event during the Iraq War in 2006, but this is not your typical war movie. It doesn’t even call itself ‘based on true events’ as it’s instead based on “the memory of the people who lived it”.
One of those people was Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza who met Alex Garland when he worked on Civil War. Together, they co-wrote and co-directed Warfare as a tribute to wounded Navy SEAL Elliott Miller, who was with Mendoza on a surveillance mission in Ramadi when their unit came under fire from Al Qaeda forces.
Miller doesn’t remember what happened on that mission, so Warfare acts as a “living document” of the traumatic events. The result is as immersive and authentic as a portrayal of war can get, but also crucially not romanticised in any way.
To recommend Warfare is to put whoever you suggest it to through the most intense 90-minute cinematic experience of the year. It’s a movie immaculately crafted to rattle you, both physically and mentally, in a way few war movies ever have.
But be warned, if you found Civil War too apolitical for your tastes, then Warfare will likely leave you feeling similarly searching for the meaning of it all.
A24
It all starts though with a group of horny young men. Our introduction to this platoon of Navy SEALs is them watching the infamous ‘Call On Me’ music video (you know the one, don’t pretend you don’t), and responding as young men would.
Given how the rest of Warfare pans out, it’s the one bit of insight into their personalities. For instance, Erik (Will Poulter) is immediately identifiable as the one in charge as he tries to watch on stoically, but still can’t stop a little smile coming through. It’s also the only bit of levity in the movie, so savour it.
From the title card onwards, Warfare plays out in real time as the platoon set up their surveillance mission in a house they took over in the middle of the night from the two Iraqi families living there. For the first act, you might be wondering why we warned you about the intensity; as much as Warfare doesn’t shy away from the horrors of war, it also doesn’t shy away from the mundanity of it.
But from the moment a hand grenade is dropped through one of the windows, Warfare does not give the viewer a single moment of peace. There’s no classic release of tension or heroic shot that saves the day – it’s nearly an hour of full-on sensory assault as the platoon attempt an evacuation.
A24
It’s a stark and visceral retelling of that day’s events which doesn’t leave much room for wider context or individual character development. We know Tommy (Kit Connor) is new to the platoon, but dialogue largely sticks to military jargon, bar one moment once desperation kicks in and Mendoza (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai) tries to radio in their position: “Look for the blood and the smoke.”
The decision adds to the realism of Warfare. Its cast is made up of some of the hottest young talent around, including Joseph Quinn, Michael Gandolfini, Kit Connor and Charles Melton. Yet arguably the most impressive element of Warfare is how anonymous they feel, how they could truly be any young man fighting a war they didn’t start.
It robs the viewer of the safety of feeling that a certain star is too big to be killed off. There’s no obvious hero because that’s not how real life plays out, and you’ll feel as close to how the platoon felt on that day in November 2006: completely unaware of how exactly events will play out.
A24
Garland and Mendoza are so committed to the movie’s singular focus that as soon as everything is over, Warfare wraps up its story. There’s no what happened next or wider context, just a nod to the fact that as much as the platoon went through, the two Iraqi families now have to deal with a home that’s ruined.
It’s this element that could leave you wondering what the point of it all was. Mendoza wants the movie to be a “bridge to communication about the subject of combat”, and it certainly portrays war in as realistic a way as possible. You’re left in no doubt as to what these young men went through, providing a context and experience other war movies haven’t.
For some viewers craving a wider exploration, you might be left unsatisfied by what Warfare serves up. Yet there’s no denying that in terms of a cinematic experience, Warfare proves an unforgettable one.
Warfare is out now in US cinemas and is released in UK cinemas on 18 April.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.