The director behind one ofA24’s biggest projects has finally announced the theatrical release date for his next film.Alex Garland, known for the dystopianCivil Waras well as sci-fi staples likeEx Machina, has created another unmitigated depiction of violence and humanity in the upcomingWarfare, which is set to debut in the United States on April 11.
Writtena and directed alongside war veteran Ray Mendoza, and based on his experiences as a Navy SEAL during the Iraq War,Warfarefollows a platoon of Navy SEALs during a mission through insurgent territory in 2006. The film has been described as a brutally visceral close-up of the violence and suffering intrinsic to active warzones, informed by the harrowing perspective of someone who has actually witnessed such atrocities.Reservation Dogsstar and Canadian/Oji-Cree actor D’Pharoh Woon-A-Tai portrays the film’s fictional version of Ray Mendoza, accompanied by an ensemble cast that includes Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, Taylor John Smith, Michael Gandolfini, Adain Bradley, Noah Centineo, Evan Holtzman, and Henrique Zaga.
Warfareis loosely connected to Garland’sCivil War, for which Mendoza served as military supervisor. Despite being A24’s most expensive movie to date,Civil Warwas a smashing success for the independent studio, grossing over $112 million worldwide. While the film followed a fictional war in a post-apocalyptic America — as opposed to the very real battles featured inWarfare— it nevertheless established a precedentfor what kind of tone and political messageaudiences can likely expect from Garland’s upcoming release. While many war movies tend to blur the lines between patriotism and glorification, Garland appears far more motivated by a desire to bluntly depict the horrors of war — without diluting them through narratives of honor and sacrifice.
‘Warfare’Was Created To Commemorate the Man Who Already Lived It
According to Garland,Warfarewas created amidst production onCivil War. In an interview withEntertainment Weekly, Garland recalled approaching Mendoza for input about a sequence during the climactic scene ofCivil War, which quickly turned into a conversation about Mendoza’s recollections of his time as a Navy SEAL in the Iraq War. “We started talking about this film, which is something that Ray, unbeknownst to me, had been wanting to make for a long, long time,” Garland described. “My role then was just to facilitate Ray telling this story that he already wanted to tell.”
Although the process of bringingWarfareto life was undoubtedly a form of catharsis for Mendoza, he also committed to the project for the benefit of other soldiers in his platoon. “One of the guys named Elliot got severely wounded upon extraction,” Mendoza explained. “He’s had some [traumatic brain injury] issues and extremely bad damage to his extremities. He’s in a wheelchair and he doesn’t recall what happened. We’ve tried to write it out for him in literary form, but even that’s really confusing. I think he understood what happened, but for us who were there and remember it, we have visual memories of it. He’s lacking that, and I’ve always wanted to do that for him.”
The Latest ‘Warfare’ Trailer Is Already Controversial
‘Warfare’ has shown its first trailer, and it’s already causing controversy over its depiction of the Iraq war.
WhileCivil Warwas dedicated to conveying a political message of anti-war sentiments,Warfareappears to be a much more personal project. Unfortunately, this motivationhas already caused some controversy, with some critics arguing that, based on the film’s trailer,Warfareis a glorification of the battles and experiences that it depicts. But given the history behind the movie, it’s clear thatWarfareshould not be sought out by viewers expecting strong political commentary and an explicit condemnation of violence. Audiences who want that kind of message should probably just stick toCivil War, which is currently streaming on both Max and Hulu.
Written and directed by Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland (Civil War,28 Days Later),Warfareembeds audiences with a platoon of American Navy SEALs in the home of an Iraqi family, overwatching the movement of US forces through insurgent territory. A visceral, boots-on-the-ground story of modern warfare, told like never before: in real time and based on the memory of the people who lived it.
