Title – Civil War (2024) 

Director – Alex Garland (Ex Machina) 

Cast – Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Nick Offerman 

Plot – In a not to distant dystopian future America, a group of journalists travel across dangerous territory as the country wars with itself, with the White House firmly in the crosshairs. 

“What kind of American are you?”

Review by Eddie on 12/04/2024

Studio darling A24’s biggest budgeted and arguably biggest risk yet comes in the form of underrated filmmaker Alex Garland’s explosive dystopian journalistic thriller Civil War, a no doubt controversial feature that is sure to stir debate within the boundaries of The United States. 

Marketed as a guns blazing action thriller that follows an eclectic group of determined journalists and photographers, there’s sure to be some jaded viewers who will feel duped by A24’s marketing campaign that has cleverly honed in on the set piece aspect of Garland’s offering, with Civil War hitting hard when the bullets fly but also becoming a film that is just as happy basking in the quieter moments, moments where it doesn’t always come together the way you would have liked. 

Built around Kirsten Dunst’s wearied photographer Lee, Cailee Spaeny’s upstart Jessie, Wager Moura’s jovial Joel and Stephen McKinley Henderson’s industry veteran Sammy (a key component of Civil War’s most unforgettable scene), Civil War offers up some incredibly confronting and masterfully put together set pieces as it follows it’s road-trippers on an explosive journey across the wilds of a country at war within itself, as the journalists attempt to make it to the gates of The White House in hopes of meeting with the under fire president, played by cameo master Nick Offerman. 

Civil War is a very different film for Garland, a figure who made his name in the science fiction and horror space as a screenwriter and then the same genres as he morphed to a career behind the camera but he showcases himself as a deft hand in this more thriller oriented space with the gunplay and action segments of Civil War some of the most visceral and intense you’re likely to see this year, while his unflinching look at a United States tearing itself apart from within is going to go down as one of the most realistic depictions of a potential future for the country many would be praying never comes to fruition. 

Where Civil War finds itself lacking is in its character beats and curiously a script that doesn’t quite come off the way Garland’s best works have in prior projects such as Ex Machina or Sunshine. 

Full of tension and horrifically viable situations, despite the solid turns from the core cast, which also includes an unforgettable segment lead by a Jesse Plemons cameo, Civil War is never able to unearth a heart and soul amongst all its many grand explorations and ideas and there’s a distinct lack of character engagement and emotional resonance that would’ve made this impeccably made and staged film something that would have been entering through the gateways of greatness. 

Filled with memorable individual moments of greatness, exploring topics that are both topical and worthwhile and gifting us a war set thriller with a totally unique core, it’s impossible to deny much of Civil War but there’s also a nagging feeling that there’s a key ingredient missing here that makes Garland’s incendiary feature a missed opportunity despite all its successes. 

Final Say – 

Delivering some thrilling white-knuckle cinematic spectacle and visual wins around some of the years most confronting narrative material, Civil War hits hard when it does but there’s no getting away from the fact the human elements of Alex Garland’s film leave much to be desired. 

4 Canadian bank notes out of 5