Civil War (2024) Movie Review

Civil War (2024) Movie Review

I’ve discussed film studio A24’s amazing track record several times at this point. The company continues to deliver hit after hit, seeing both commercial and critical acclaim with nearly every single film they release. 2024 has seen a handful of A24 releases already see this success with ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ (also now available on DVD and Blu-Ray), ‘I Saw the Tv Glow’ (coming soon), and Alex Garland’s latest genre piece ‘Civil War’. ‘Civil War; has become one of the studios biggest hits to date, with it falling just shy of ‘Everything, Everywhere All at Once’ at the domestic box office with $69 million and currently sitting as the highest grossing film for A24 worldwide, with over $121 million. Civil War has also impressed critics and audiences alike with 81% critical rating and 70% audience score, seeing both sides (almost) agree on the film, which seems to be a rarity these days.

Civil War follows a group of journalists traverse a dystopian United States of America, as they race against the clock to the capital (Washington DC), to interview the president before military forces descend upon the White House. Oh, and I forgot to mention, there is also a Civil War going on, that is devastating the USA… The film is drenched in political and social commentary, feeling more relevant now more than ever with the upcoming 2024 election. I was excited by the prospect of Civil War (as a film of course), given director Alex Garland’s impressive track record, Cailee Spaeny and Kirsten Dunst as the films leads, and the subject matter. I am happy to report that this is yet again another impressive entry in Alex Garland’s incredible filmography.

Alex Garland has become one of Hollywood’s most sought after talents behind the camera, continuing to deliver, thoughtful, engaging, and high-concept films to the public, in a digestible and entertaining way, whilst never losing sacrificing its heady themes. He of course wrote the 28-Days and Weeks Later films and Sunshine with Danny Boyle famously directing and has written and directed a number of others including, ‘Ex Machina’, ‘Annihilation’, ‘Men’ and ‘Civil War’. His commitment to dystopian worlds, with off-kilter dialogue and strange characters has given each of his films a very distinct tone, style, and presentation, making it very clear for audiences when they are watching an Alex garland project. Civil War is no different. The film’s central characters Lee (played by Kirsten Dunst), Joel (played by Wagner Moura), Jessie (played by Cailee Spaeny) and Sammy (played by Stephen McKinley Henderson) are all presented in a realistic manner. These characters all feel beaten down and worn don during the events of this civil war. Presenting on the conflict and death has clearly taken its toll on Lee and Joel, as you see their cynicism and different world views to that of Jessie. The contrast here is beautifully executed and well realised, as we see lee open herself up to others and Jessie understanding the world is a lot more complex and dangerous than she initially thought.

Another strength of this film is the action set-pieces. This film has some of the most realistic and tense gunfights I have seen in a major release in quite some time. I would say it plays out more like a drama than an action film, but the action here is truly incredible, with some amazing set-pieces that had me covering my ears and clenching my fists. Yes, the sound-design is what makes it for me. The sound of the gunfire is fantastic and elevates these sequences beyond your run of the mill gun fight. The last 25 minutes is edge of your seat action, with our journalists approaching the capital and the Government taking its final stand against militant forces. Its breath-taking, and some of Alex Garland’s best and most impressive work behind the camera to date. Whilst he isn’t known for his action directing, he nails it here!

‘Civil War’ sees Alex Garland firing on all cylinders, delivering a truly memorable and politically relevant, masterpiece. Civil War may not be his best film but from a technical perspective, it is easily his most impressive, with the writer/director using his sensibilities as a filmmaker to tell a thematically relevant story, whilst elevating the character drama. The film shows the important role journalism plays in capturing these horrific events and showing the devastating impacts of war on civilians. The cinematography by director of photography Rob Hardy, captures the impacts of war in a truly devastating way, that makes the imagery and set pieces feel quite horrific. A lot of the images from this film have stayed with me long after I saw the film. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think civil War offers a lot for film fans and for those up to date with current events. Definitely worth checking out. Pick up your copy from Sanity today on DVD, Blu-Ray or 4K Ultra HD, you won’t want to miss it!

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Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here