Civil War (2024)

April 10, 2024 (FI) • War, Action, Drama • 109m

Overview

In the near future, a group of war journalists attempt to survive while reporting the truth as the United States stands on the brink of civil war.

Director

Kirsten Dunst

Keywords

sniper new york city race against time usa president washington dc, usa the white house civil war post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) war crimes photographer militia journalism dystopia war photographer road trip female protagonist soldier fictional war photojournalism xenophobia secession secessionists usa politics war trauma war journalism charlottesville near future violence

Where to watch

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Top Billed Cast

Kevin Kedgley

Western Forces Marine / Flag Detail (uncredited)

Crew

Reviews

Manuel São Bento

⭐ 8/10

April 11, 2024

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://talkingfilms.net/civil-war-review-a-thought-provoking-dive-into-war-journalism-and-moral-complexity/

"Civil War attests to Alex Garland’s fascinating ability to create impactful narratives that provoke deep discussions, beyond his unwavering commitment to the themes and characters at hand, without falling into preachy stances.

A film that transcends political boundaries, focusing on war journalism, the mor… read the rest.

r96sk

⭐ 9/10

April 12, 2024

Terrific movie!

<em>'Civil War'</em> is a blast from beginning to end, I enjoyed everything about it to be honest. It features an interesting story that is told with excellence. My biggest takeaway is the sound design, which is outstanding; literally from the first seconds post-BBFC black card.

It is paced absolutely spot on, the end comes around so quick; probably because I was hooked. The cast do great jobs. Obvious credit to Kirsten Duns… read the rest.

CinemaSerf

⭐ 6/10

April 13, 2024

Nope, sorry, this just didn't work for me. It appears that there is a civil war amongst these United States. California and Texas have seceded from the Union and Florida seems to be having a wobble too. The President (Nick Offerman) makes a speech assuring the rest of his country that they've nothing to worry about, but hardened photo-journalist "Lee" (Kirsten Dunst) and her cohort "Joel" (Wagner Moura) reckon that the conflict is quite likely to come to an altogether different conclusion. They bravely decide to travel the 800-odd miles to Washington DC to try and interview him. Their out-of-shape veteran associate "Sammy" (Stephen McKinley Henderson) thinks they are mad, but also wants in on the trip. Meantime, the enthusiastic young photographer "Jessie" (Cailee Spaeny) has managed to hook up with the team and so, rather implausibly, they agree to take her on this perilous journey. It's that implausibility that carries the whole thing as the completely preposterous scenario unfolds before us. No effort is made to fill us in on the cause of this warfare. Did the President seize power? Was he elected from a party these states didn't vote for? Are they just brutal and well armed revolutionaries? Then we have the ridiculous dialogue - usually from Henderson with his "always take fuel when you can" or "this way only leads to death" type profundities as the group travel through a remarkably stable, well fuelled and provisioned, nation where there's hardly the merest hint of mass migrations, fear or terror. Indeed, their blue "Press" helmets and a little bit of kevlar seem to render them immune to the deadly drama that they are supposed to be experiencing. Jesse Plemons makes a brief appearance - that actually leads to the only vaguely exciting part of this chronology, but otherwise it's all a bit on a non-event. Dunst starts off as a strong and characterful woman but that dwindles away and, well, I was just a bit bored as the denouement hoved into view with all the predicability of the sun coming up. It's bitty, episodic, unrealistic and populated with characters in whom I simply could not believe. Sure, maybe it's supposed to be outlandishly apocalyptic, but it reminded me for the most part of an episode of "Falling Skies" - only without the aliens. Perhaps it might resonate better with an American audience? I'm not one of them and this didn't.

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Brent Marchant

⭐ 8/10

April 14, 2024

Cautionary tales often have some of the most significant impact when brought to life on the big screen, and that’s certainly the case with the latest offering from writer-director Alex Garland. The filmmaker’s gripping tale of a quartet of journalists (Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Cailee Spaeny) covering a civil war in a dystopian version of America of the near future follows the reporters as they make their way from New York to Washington via a circuitous route that shows them all sides of this nightmarish scenario. Essentially a road trip film, “Civil War” provides the principals and viewers with an array of images and situations graphically depicting what’s left of the US as a distraught population attempts to make sense of the circumstances and find ways to survive. The purpose of the protagonists’ journey is to secure an interview (likely the last one) with a corrupt, egomaniacal President (Nick Offerman) as rebel forces close in on the capital. They set out on this treacherous odyssey despite the dangers involved both in making the trip and in their roles as journalists, who are looked on with suspicion and have been accused of fanning the flames of the hostilities. While some have complained that the film doesn’t provide enough social and political background about the conflict, I submit that this consideration is fundamentally unnecessary: Garland is making an unadulterated statement here that, when the bullets start flying, ideology won’t matter and no one will care, a point driven home with chilling clarity over and over. The madness that consumes the population is all that’s important at that juncture, one driven by bald-faced hostility on steroids both among the combatants and the overzealousness of the reporters in seeking to “get the story,” no matter what. In achieving this end, the filmmaker holds nothing back, making this an often-difficult watch, one definitely not for the squeamish or faint of heart. But the picture’s message is one of grave importance, especially in today’s trying, polarized climate. We’d be wise to pay attention to what’s being said in this important work, handily the best – and most troubling – release of 2024 thus far.

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edrddz

⭐ 7/10

April 29, 2024

The film, although set in a context of armed conflict, deviates from the traditional war theme to focus on war photojournalists, promoting a perspective on the work of such professionals. Through a series of small scenes, the director seeks to compose a portrait of these professionals' actions on the battlefield without declaring the reasons for the war or identifying the sides involved.

Each scene, individually, is well-executed, standing out… read the rest.

MovieGuys

⭐ 6/10

May 23, 2024

In spite of its pretensions, Civil War is essentially a derivative affair filled with calculatedly disturbing visuals and violent exposition.

Character development and a functioning back story are largely absent, from Civil War. This is an exposition driven road trip from hell, with a nihilistic objective, that plays out to a predictable conclusion.

That does not really leave a lot, for the viewer, to take away from this film. A film whic… read the rest.

dumasori

⭐ 7/10

June 7, 2024

**Not bad**

I stared with low expectations, but this movies indeed turned out to be a good one. Fantastic story, acting, direction. No major complaints.

Entertaining and thought provoking. Well done!

akerusan

June 10, 2024

I really enjoyed this movie, wan't expecting much and got a lot. recommend.

Chandler Danier

⭐ 7/10

July 2, 2024

I wonder if the older guy gets with the young lady. He definitely worked for it. Bet he knows exactly how many near death experiences it takes before they fall into his arms. Seems like a lot just to bang someone, though.

News, news, news. Gotta get that story.

TheSceneSnobs

⭐ 7/10

July 9, 2024

This film is wonderfully chilling, with an atmosphere that haunts you long after the credits roll. The familiar settings of cities, towns, and roads serve as a stark backdrop to a raging war within the United States, creating a sense of unsettling normalcy disrupted by chaos.

The film’s atmosphere is one of its strongest elements, expertly crafted to keep viewers on edge. The juxtaposition of familiar, everyday settings with the terror of inte… read the rest.

PeaceMeal

⭐ 3/10

October 26, 2024

I was very interested in watching Civil War for a number of reasons. Mainly I wanted to see how the various political sides were portrayed in the very divided "United" States. Indeed, there are many countries in the world that are near evenly split amongst two groups: High Government Involvement (money, immigration, etc.) vs. Free Market Capitalism.

Unfortunately, there was no coverage of that in Civil War, with the only difference being regions, letting you imagine on your own the differences. They are relying on a regional stereotype to push that the "South" is made up of angry white people that just like killing those that don't agree with them. That put the movie right away into a political category.

When the movie had finished, I was left with some lasting feelings that were intentionally pushed by the story and director:
1) the international press are the only real heroes; 2) all American white men just like war and killing.

It's unfortunate that this seemed to be the main narrative from start to finish. There were so many missed opportunities.

Summary: The was like a little like watching the movie Apocalypse Now with the sole main character being the press photographer who was always portrayed as the hero.

The writer and director pushed that those many wartime videographers had a large audience that only desired seeing the upclose expressions from people that were shot and dying. They also pushed that they would be so highly respected and protected from all waring sides. Those continual assumptions caused the movie to lose significant realism.

With such a large production budget and vast thirst for this movie topic, Civil War was a major letdown. Better writing and direction could have made this a movie blockbuster. Instead, it won't be remembered in 3-5 years, and certainly no one would every consider rewatching it.

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pacrat173

⭐ 9/10

February 9, 2025

A horrifying yet amazing ride from start to end

Full of amazing shots,heart breaking deaths and a take on film making I’ve never seen I loved almost every second of this film. I would like to know more about the before and after of the film though

Dr_Nostromo

⭐ 8/10

April 27, 2026

75/100

4 reporters document their journey through the war torn U.S. on the way to Washington D.C. to interview the president. This was a brutal and intense film coldly depicting the barbaric horrors of warfare between Americans consumed with hate and racial fear. Our 4 principals - ranging from the hardened photographer, who has seen far too much death, to a rookie photographer who will not stop moving forward despite to horrors she's experien… read the rest.