RATING 5 out of 5

Civil War is a daring cinematic marvel from the visionary mind of Alex Garland that delivers an anxiety inducing experience unlike anything you have ever seen with exceptional technical merits, a terrific cast led by two powerhouse performances from Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny, and unforgettable imagery to deliver a haunting, timely and important piece of cinema about the necessity and power of journalism.

As both a writer and director, Alex Garland has always taken big swings with the themes he explores in each of his films. Never for a second does he shy away from the ideas he is playing with, regardless of whether mass audiences are going to understand what he is doing, or be ready for a thought provoking experience that gets their mind going, but that is what makes him one of the most exciting writers and directors currently working. After 2022’s Men which is by no means a bad film, but easily the weakest of any film that he has written or directed in my opinion, Garland returns with his most ambitious film to date that tackles a war torn America, that with current political tensions in that country, does not feel like it is that far off of a possibility. But in typical Garland fashion, he subverts expectations as his film champions wartime journalists and their dedication to capturing the truth in the most dangerous situations, the is not only one of the best films of the year, but an absolutely harrowing ride from start to finish to watch… and that is coming from a Canadian!

There is an apprehension to a film about civil war in modern America given that the inciting factors can be glimpsed in their current political situation, causing the film to feel too close to reality at times. Garland knows this, and leans heavily into it with his alternate version of a divided America that he depicts in Civil War. Denial about the state of the country, military checkpoints, riots in the streets, unexpected bombing, citizens becoming their own law enforcers, and a president unable to control it are all just components of the version of America that he builds in his film. With haunting images and anxiety inducing moments throughout the quickly paced film, there is no doubt that your heart will be racing during the film. Most notably during Jesse Plemons’s single scene that is teased in the film’s trailer, which is one of the most mortifying scenes in recent memory, or the bombastic final act assault on the White House that delivers the action packed spectacular that viewers expect from the film that is reminiscent of the conclusion of Kathyrn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty in both its intensity and level of craftsmanship.

But, to many viewers' surprise, the war torn America and the politics that led to it are not the focus of Garland’s screenplay. In fact, there is almost no mention of the politics that led to the divide in the nation; instead, Garland drops audiences right in the middle of the civil war with no explanation as to all of the warring parties’ ideologies. His film is about journalism and plays out as a road trip film following Kirsten Dunst’s Lee and a group of journalists heading to Washington, D.C. to secure an interview with the President before he is overthrown. Journalism has helped capture the truth about what has happened during wars, the horrors that are carried out by ordinary individuals under orders, driven by desperation or by ideology, and Garland shines the spotlights on these unsung heroes. By keeping a neutral view to the politics at the core of war and focusing on the quest for the story and photographs, Garland is able to spark conversation about not which side is right in war, but about the atrocities committed by mankind during war as a cautionary tale to what our world’s future could have in store. It’s a war movie, but like some of the most memorable films in the genre, it’s very much an anti-war film cautioning us against the dangers of our own nature. 

With such an insightful story to tell, it comes as no surprise that the screenplay that Garland has written lends itself to stellar performances from the entire cast. Leading the film is Dunst as Lee, a celebrated photojournalist, and she brings a battle hardened strength to the film. After spending years in the field capturing harrowing moments on film and seeing the horrors that humanity is capable of, Dunst captures the neutral view that Lee has regarding her own country at war with itself as she strives to get the story. There is a distrust that Dunst effortlessly brings to her performance, a hesitancy to deviate from her goal, and a determination to capture the truth through her photographs for the rest of the world to see. At the same time, there is a caring side to Lee that Dunst brings out as she watches out for Cailee Spaeny’s Jessie, trying to prepare her for the horrors that Jessie is about to witness first hand while dealing with the horrors that she herself has experienced in her past that creates the emotional undercurrent of the film. It’s an incredibly powerful performance that guides not only Garland’s screenplay, but the audiences’ emotional reaction to the discussion Garland generates in the film that marks one of Dunst’s best performances of all time. Spaeny is a force to be reckoned with as Jessie, bringing an optimistic view to the film and acts as the eyes of the viewers. It’s a big character arc for her as Jessie sees the worst of humanity as she bonds with one of her idols and develops her skills as a photographer, allowing Spaeny to give a magnificent performance. Combined with her turn in last year’s Priscilla, Spaeny is quickly proving herself as a truly talented actress and will very quickly become a popular name in the industry.

But it is Plemons who leaves the biggest impression on viewers, and he does so in one single scene. In a matter of minutes, Plemons personifies the worst of humanity as a deadly citizen our journalists encounter on their journey, willing to kill anyone he views as un-American. It’s an absolutely sickening turn with a chilling indifference towards human life, which is the absolute opposite of Plemons as an individual and the majority of roles we are used to seeing him, ensuring that your skin will crawl during the entire scene. Watching him do it to his real life wife Dunst makes it all that more challenging to watch, but it’s a scene that drives home Garland’s view on humanity that he explores in this film and Plemons is nothing short of amazing in it. 

Reuniting with Garland is cinematographer Rob Hardy, who has worked with Garland since Ex Machina, and he perfectly captures Garland’s vision for this story. There is a stillness in Hardy’s work, capturing the disparity in this altered version of America with wide shots of countryside, violence from a distance, and the travels of the journalists as they make their way to Washington, DC that evokes a striking, haunting beauty to the experience of watching the film. Hardy uses freeze frames and light exposure to mimic photojournalism in lots of his shots, which works perfectly to complement the story that Garland is telling. In the action sequences, Hardy throws the audience right in the middle of the violence, giving them the perspective of a bystander as he captures the uncontrolled, terrifying madness of combat. Helping to create these scenes is impeccable sound design that captures the sound of every shot fired, explosion, and moment of temporary deafness, coupled with the impressive special effects to simulate the war zone for the actors, using CGI sparingly to only enhance what Garland could practically create on set. With all these technical aspects combined, Civil War becomes an immersive experience that is gripping, unnerving and thrilling from start to finish that demands to be seen on the big screen.

Every year there are blockbuster scale films that capture an audience’s attention like no other, while also sharing dangerous parallels to our world that serve as a warning, and the latest film to join this select group is Civil War. While it’s not the divisive politically charged war film that audiences expected it to be based on the film’s title and the trailer, Alex Garland has not only directed another perfect film, but has highlighted the importance of wartime journalism, which is something we need to be reminded of in today’s world. It’s only more important in a world dominated by social media and artificial intelligence, as without these journalists on the ground in the midst of the danger, we as a human race cannot see the atrocities of war first hand and work towards a future where we do not recommit the sins of our race’s past. Visually arresting and haunting, there is not a second of Alex Garland’s latest film that does not scream masterpiece with its gripping and harrowing vision of a war torn America that focuses on truth and journalism that is led by two spectacular performances from Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny, easily cementing Civil War as not only one of the best films of the year but one of A24’s best films to date!