Fast forward into the near future of the U.S., and it is pretty much the opposite of united. Director Alex Garland’s “Civil War” (2024) is a dangerous road trip through a desolate war-zoned America. It’s brutal, beautifully shot, loud and harrowing. It is most definitely not for everyone, but I wish everyone would watch this at least once. It’s quite the feat in filmmaking, and one of the best films of the year.
Here’s my “Civil War” 2024 review!
โCivil Warโ (2024) Speaks Volumes: A New-to-Streaming Review
The film follows a group of journalists piggybacking with the “Western Forces” as they road trip to The White House to interview the U.S. President before he is killed. It’s quite the ordeal, and the plot had me completely engaged right out the gate. You’ve never seen a film of this nature or fortitude. “Civil War’ is brilliantly done, and I can’t help but admire the hell out of Garland for this.
The camera work and landscaping are beautiful and yet sad at the same time. It’s an abandoned, torn and littered America. Bodies are everywhere; graffiti is painted across the buildings. Helicopters, tanks, cars and trucks are all shells of themselves. One of the best shots in this movie that speaks volumes is a helicopter that had been shot down in the middle of a JCPenney parking lot all alone. It’s a haunting shot. How he captures the country in its worst moment is perfection. Bullets routinely light up the night sky, static is across the radio and there are sounds of screaming. It’s terrifying.
An Army of a Cast
Kirsten Dunst (Lee) and Cailee Spaeny (Jessie) led the way, and both were excellent in their own rights. It was great to see Dunst working again; I feel like I haven’t seen her forever. She is tired, driven, brutally honest and does the work. Spaeny, on the other hand, is the newbie to the field. She’s the naive, young, excited and scared journalist. But she’s willing to do what it takes to get the shot right. To me, Spaeny has a seriously bright future in the entertainment industry, and I say that after seeing her in “Alien: Romulus.” I’m looking forward to what she brings to us down the road.
The rest of the “Civil War” cast was good and on point. Wagner Moura (Joel), or as I like to call him, “Discount Pedro Pascal,” did an excellent job. Stephen McKinley Henderson (Sammy), as always, is a treat on screen, and the little role Nick Offerman (President) had was perfect. Shout out to Jesse Plemons (Unnamed Solider), who leads one of the most anxiety-ridden scenes I’ve seen in a while. It’s his only scene, but he commands it throughout.
The sound mixing here wins best supporting actor. From the echoing gunshots and the vehicles rolling down the battle-worn roads to the music, it was all spot on and really formed the movie. My only regret about this film is that I wish I had seen it in IMAX because it was definitely made for that kind of viewing. If you watch this at home, which I think you should, be sure to watch it on the biggest screen you have and crank the volume. It needs to be seen that way.
“What kind of American areย you?”
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