By Jamil Weeks

Republicans versus Democrats. Conservatives versus Liberals. Wealthy versus poor. In modern times, it seems as if the United States is as divided as it has ever been in my lifetime. With the current climate of discontent amongst Americans, a movie like Civil War seems to have arrived at the perfect time. Directed by Alex Garland, best known for directing Ex-Machina (2015) and Annihilation (2018), the movie depicts an internally war-ravaged United States that has descended into utter chaos. The war fractures the United States in separate secessionist movements looking to seize control of the government. As the audience, you see the war unfold through the eyes of four journalists who embark upon a dangerous journey from New York City to Washington, DC in search of the ultimate story. The reporters place their lives in jeopardy as they navigate treacherous roads where peril potentially lies around any corner. As they get closer to their ultimate destination, their risky trek mirrors Captain Williard’s trip down the river to find Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now. Their car ride plunges the reporters down a dark path filled with brutality and depravity. The movie does not pick a side or try to make political statements. Instead, the movie focuses on the dynamic relationships between the reporters as they take the ominous ride to DC.

Do not come to the theater expecting a huge war film like Saving Private Ryan or Platoon, with epic war scenes. Alex Garland offers a more intimate look at war with Civil War. The actors who portray the reporters in the film are the heart of the story. The film stars Kirsten Dunst as Lee Smith, who is a war photographer. Lee has traveled the world reporting on the front lines of some of the world’s deadliest conflicts. Lee has seen it all, except a civil war in her own country. You can see the weariness in Lee’s eyes in each scene from all the carnage she has witnessed throughout her career. You also see how she and her colleagues have had to become emotionally detached in order to effectively do their job. Joining her is her right hand, Joel, played by Wagner Moura, and her mentor, Sammy, played by Stephen McKinley Henderson. The last reporter to join the trip is Jesse, played by Cailee Spaeny, who is a young reporter that idolizes the work of Lee. Jesse represents Lee when she was a young photographer just getting started. The relationship between the two starts off as contentious as Lee expresses to Joe her disapproval of Jesse tagging along knowing the threats that lie ahead. However, the two forge a bond as colleagues as Lee reluctantly shows Jesse the ropes of what it takes to be a renowned photographer. Garland does a phenomenal job fleshing out the main characters. You grow to care about them as learn more about who they are and worry about what the future holds for them as you get this ever-growing sense of impending doom as the story progresses. You see the war through their eyes as they descend upon the forefront of the battles capturing the intensity and savagery of war through their photo lenses. The fact that the audience is heavily invested in these characters through great storytelling raises the stakes of each battle the reporters find themselves in.

The battle scenes in the movie are brutal and bloody. Garland places you right with the journalists as almost a fifth member of the press following the soldiers as they exchange gunfire with opposing forces. You can feel the bullets whizzing past your ears and the power of each bullet that is fired with the masterful sound design. The battle scenes are a balance of deafening war sound effects to scenes devoid of noise to heighten the suspense of the scene. You almost feel like you have PTSD after witnessing some of the combat scenes in the movie. Credit must be given to Garland for making the audience feel like they have been placed amid flying bullets, bombs exploding around you, and gruesome acts of war violence. While most of the movie centers around the journalists with battles sprinkled in here and there, the third act is where all the character development pays off with a huge battle to take over the White House. Garland does a great job of making you feel the horrors that are unfolding before your very eyes. The scattered dead bodies on the battlegrounds. The explosions. The sound of gunfire erupting from military style rifles as if they are being fired from the theater seat right next to you. Garland attempts to make the war scenes as unique as possible with the addition of musical selections that seem to come out of nowhere at certain points during combat scenes as if Guy Ritchie was behind the camera. The music seems to be strategically placed by the filmmakers as almost a way to provide the audience with somewhat of a relief from the horrific events portrayed in the deadly skirmishes. While there are not a lot of war scenes in the first two acts of the film, when the battles do happen, they leave an impression on you.

The film is not a political film. Do not expect Civil War to force feed you from a particular ideological plate. What is refreshing about the film is that the film is a pure entertainment piece. However, with the current climate of American society, one cannot help but think of this film as an ominous warning of what our country could become if we continue down the path of fiery rhetoric and discord. Garland never fully explains why the Civil War started. You know the country has splintered into regional alliances looking to overthrow the government, but it is not known what each movement stands for politically. While some might look at this as a drawback, I feel it was the smart play to place the emphasis on the aftermath of what a civil war would look like. How our country would look and fundamentally change if we were at war amongst ourselves, rather than use the film as a political tool to fire up one segment of the country while offending the other. As a result, Civil War serves as a cautionary tale by giving Americans a glimpse into what our future beholds if we do not find some middle ground as a country to settle our differences.

Civil War is a must-see film, especially in IMAX. A dark and intense war drama that shocks you, entertains you, and makes you think. Kirsten Dunst delivers perhaps the greatest performance of her career as the lead character. The cast individually adds emotional, and sometimes disturbing, acting portrayals in every scene in the movie. Civil War is a savage and impassioned take on a bleak near distant future of America through a car ride from New York City to DC. I am not prepared to call this movie the film of the year. Currently, Dune 2 holds that title. What I am prepared to say is the film has riveting war scenes, captivating cinematography, considerable acting across the boards, an engaging story, beautifully crafted directing, and ear-piercing sound design. All these factors easily make Civil War one of the best films to be released so far in 2024. My only fear is that people from either side of the political aisle will attempt to hijack the premise of the movie to further whatever agenda they are trying to shovel to the American public. I recommend this movie for people looking to see an entertaining and thoughtful piece of art. Civil War is a movie every American should see, and hopefully that viewing is in a theater!