Civil War (2024) — Review
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Director | Alex Garland |
| Cast | Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson |
| Runtime | 109 minutes |
| Genre | War / Drama / Thriller |
| Release | April 2024 |
What Is Civil War About?
Alex Garland's Civil War is deliberately provocative in its refusal to explain itself. Set in a near-future United States where a second civil war has broken out, the film follows a team of war journalists — led by veteran photographer Lee (Kirsten Dunst) — as they make a dangerous road trip from New York to Washington D.C. to secure a final interview with the besieged President.
Garland is careful to avoid specifying which political factions are fighting or why. This is not a political manifesto. It's a film about what war does to people — to soldiers, civilians, and the journalists who try to bear witness to it.
The Journalism at the Heart of the Film
The film's most interesting and contested idea is its portrayal of journalistic detachment. Lee has spent years documenting atrocities around the world and has developed a kind of emotional armour. She photographs horror without flinching, believing that bearing witness is its own moral act.
This is challenged by Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), a young aspiring photographer who is drawn into the chaos. Watching her transformation from wide-eyed newcomer to hardened professional is the film's emotional spine.
The Action Sequences
Make no mistake — this is also a viscerally effective action film. A mid-film sequence set in a small town with a sniper is among the most tense and frightening scenes in any war film in recent memory. Garland stages combat with a you-are-there immediacy that is genuinely disorienting.
The sound design is extraordinary. Gunfire sounds real — not Hollywood-clean. Explosions have weight. The film uses silence as effectively as noise.
Performances
Kirsten Dunst gives perhaps her finest performance in years — quietly devastating and utterly believable. Wagner Moura is warm and funny as her veteran colleague Joel. And Jesse Plemons, in a brief but electrifying cameo, delivers the film's most chilling scene.
Is It a Great War Film?
Yes — with caveats. Those hoping for political clarity or a traditional narrative arc may find it frustrating. But as an experiential, visceral piece of cinema about what conflict looks and feels like from the ground level, it stands alongside Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket in its ambition and impact.
- Unmissable if you enjoy thought-provoking war cinema, photojournalism stories, or Alex Garland's previous work (Ex Machina, 28 Days Later).
- Approach with caution if you're looking for clear political answers or a traditional story structure.
Rating: 8.5 / 10