Civil War is the latest film from Alex Garland which follows up their latest film Men. The film is stated as A24’s highest budget and is a true gamble for the studio. Civil War has been creating a buzz ever since its announcement and trailer. The film is also coming out at a time when the political climate in the nation is at its hottest. All of this factored in with the polarizing reviews coming out of its SXSW premiere, Civil War is sure to be the buzz of the summer.

Garland has been crafting so many stories about human resilience in times of uncertainty and danger for quite some time now. Ex Machina and Annihilation are both films that question our roles as humans on this planet. In Civil War, Garland is now asking about our roles with one another as humans. The film puts you right in the middle of a civil war happening in the United States in which the two highest GDP states (Texas and California) are now against the rest of country. Garland never really addresses the root cause of this, and I think this is the best way to handle the film. We have such complex issues in the United States especially with race and economic disparity that I’m not sure we want a British man covering this. I honestly think it would have cheapened the film which is more about the importance of journalism but also a story about humanity and preservation.

Garland chooses to not really focus on what got us into the civil war here but actually focus on these four individuals’ perception of it. I was skeptical of the film going in and worried Garland would choose to try and make a story that was just about the war and its origins. Instead, Garland takes the approach of making the film about each character’s humanity and how they deal with the horrors of war. The horrors that Garland showcases are indeed that and left me utterly speechless. Civil War really delivers some gut punching sounds and visuals that really bring you into the heat of battle. The sound design is on another level as gunshots boom and ominous silence creeps all over you which is amplified as it is paired with jarring visuals.

I also have to applaud the actors (Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, as well as the supporting cast) for being able to portray the anguish and genuine terror they are in through sheer body language. There are moments where you can’t even breathe with how much is going on; all you can do is watch in horror as you witness the turmoil the film’s characters encounter. It’s truly one of the few war films lately to capture just how horrendous it is. The movie also has some amazing cinematography and scope that really takes you to these beautiful and also dark places. It’s best to see this one on the biggest and best screen you possibly can.

The film will be split and honestly, I see why as I think the film is advertised as something else. If you go into this one expecting a full lesson or the history of this world you might be out of luck. I think what Garland does is much more interesting in just capturing these journalists’ journey into the most important part of this war. A lot of room is left for interpretation, which makes the film that much more interesting. The politics of the United States is far too deep for it to be reduced to a 2-hour film. What Garland instead offers is more of a look in the mirror as to what could be. I believe through intense scenes of violence and small moments of humanity we see that even in the darkest times there can be slithers of hope. Civil War has come during the United States most heated political climate; it’s a warning of what could be. Garland isn’t addressing the problems here but showing the outcome of what an escalation could look like. Civil War will be the most polarizing film of the year and it had to be with such heavy subject matter. There’s no way to get this one right for universal appeal and the best thing is the conversations that will stem. Civil War is a timeless modern classic.

We give Civil War a 4.5/5.