Civil War (2024)

Filmmaker Alex Garland cuts close to home with this dystopian action/horror that imagines the United States at war with itself. How this happened isn't as important as the personal impact of the conflict that becomes painfully clear as we follow a team of photojournalists who chronicle the devastation with an unflinching eye. Kirsten Dunst reminds us why she's one of our best actors working today, but it's the sound design that steals the show here, pulsating with an undercurrent of menace that grips and unsettles in equal measure. A tough watch that everyone should see.

Civil War isn’t a political thriller or a war movie, it’s more of an anti-war movie. The film centers around a group of journalists making their way to DC before it’s overtaken by rebel forces. What they encounter along the way is bloodshed, a loss of humanity, and a decaying nation. Civil War is deep, haunting, and perfect for viewers who love movies that not only provoke emotions, but also make you think. If you love films like Children of Men or District 9, Civil War will be a must-watch. It’s also one of Kirsten Dunst’s strongest performances since Melancholia.

As a director, Alex Garland doesn't always get things right. While his ideas are grand and his visual work is exceptional, sometimes, he bites off more than he can chew when it comes to handling complex narratives. With Civil War, though, the filmmaker makes no bones with the message he wants to transmit, and like it or not, the core concept in this slow-burning thriller is a vital one. Sadly, the dystopian version of America depicted in Civil War is frighteningly close to the one we see on the news every day, but Garland does not shirk from his sense of responsibility in grappling with this.

You expect a clever concept from writer/director Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation) and you get one here, with a horrifyingly plausible, expansively rendered portrait of what America might look like if hatred takes over completely and its people turn on each other. It’s an eerily convincing dystopia. But in the story of photographer Lee (Kirsten Dunst), reporter Joel (Wagner Moura) and friends trying to make it across a shattered country to interview the doomed President, Garland also finds a hyper-tense, addictive road-movie thriller where there is a dark surprise around every corner.

Alex Garland's Civil War is a brutal, bloody, dystopian movie that captures the U.S. in political turmoil from the perspective of several photojournalists. Viewers expecting the movie to take a stance on today's political climate and polarization may be disappointed. Its primary focus is the worst-case scenario of political order breaking down and violence and loss of humanity permeating America. It's more a jarring warning than a political commentary. Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny steal the show in this brutal, thoughtful film reminiscent of works like V for Vendetta and Hotel Rwanda.