Make Alex (Garland) Great Again: The Civil War Review

Since the inception of photography, we’ve had war photographers: People who risk their lives to join the boots on the ground to show the rest of the world the true horrors of the machine. Bodies ripped and strewn apart, cities reduced to rubble, young men and women sitting along the sidelines with fear in their eyes or sometimes a smile on their faces. The press and war have long been intricately tied in a way that seems like a public service. At what point is it pointless to put yourself in that position? At what point do you have to stop and ask: Are you doing it for the people, or the notoriety and the paycheck? 

Civil War is the latest film from director Alex Garland, and easily his largest-scale film to date. A24 is even touting it as their first blockbuster and making a push for it akin to their promotion of Everything Everywhere All At Once. The film follows four journalists on a journey to Washington, D.C. to interview the president of the once United States. California and Texas have teamed up and the rest of the country is divided, either siding with the president and his forces or splintering into factions less interested in the war and more interested in living their lives as usual. 

This is a heady subject based on the current state of affairs within the United States, and Garland makes the smart decision to tackle the film as a road-trip movie. The concept works in multiple ways, allowing viewers to get to know the characters and also showing how different parts of the United States are handling the war. Surprisingly, the film also has a lot of humor that is typically present in road-trip buddy comedies, but in this case is intercut with harrowing images of a reality that seems far too possible in the near future. 

Two of the movie’s protagonists are colleagues Lee (Kirsten Dunst), a photojournalist, and Joel (Wagner Moura), a writer. Seasoned journalists and old friends, Joel and Lee present different reactions to the war surrounding them. Joel screams in agony as he watches the events unfold around him, contrasting harshly with his carefree and laid-back demeanor. Lee (Kirsten Dunst) tries to play tough, not because she needs the respect, but because she’s seen so many atrocities that it doesn’t affect her anymore. She longs to feel something, but when her job is to document war the line starts to blur between work and the horrors in front of her.

The duo play off each other incredibly, giving these characters a history that could have been tough to transition from the page. They know the little things that bother each other, but also how to make the other one happy. We’re never given a timeline on how long they’ve been friends, but they make it so believable that they’re past the point where they’ve grown tired of each other and are doing it because they actually enjoy one another’s company.

Stephen McKinley Henderson and Cailee Spaeny also appear in the film as Sammy, a veteran journalist, and Jessie, a young photographer. Sammy just wants to get photos on the frontline—the problem is he’s maybe a bit too old for the war at hand. Jessie idolizes Lee and wants to be a war photographer, but learns that she may have bit off more than she can chew. Henderson sells his role as a man who has seen it all but still finds a way to be compassionate throughout the countrywide warzone. He may not say a lot throughout but he is observant, pointing out danger and also little things to be appreciated on the road trip. Spaeny is a whirlwind surprise. She becomes Jessie: she embodies her fear, her curiosity, and her naivety. With Priscilla and now Civil War under her belt, she’s worked with two titans of filmmaking, and her career should be an interesting one to watch. 

But the real star of the movie is the sound design. Bullets whiz by you, making you feel like you should get down and out of the way. Explosions go off and you can practically feel your ears ringing from the sound. The movie is loud in the best way possible. Initially, the decision to release the film in IMAX seemed questionable, but after seeing the film, it makes complete and total sense. Civil War takes full advantage of the elaborate speaker systems and gives every component a workout. Moments of peace are interrupted by sounds of war that strike you like a jumpscare. It’s intense, it’s visceral, and it adds a layer of stress to an already anxiety-inducing film. 

Garland excels at balancing the audience's expectation of a world where a civil war is actively happening. The film is fairly apolitical, not really siding with either force and instead showing the people that occupy the divide. Some characters would rather pretend the war isn’t happening, while others shoot at people just because they can. Neither one of these forces are deemed right or wrong, but offer a snapshot into the nature of humanity during a major collapse. 

The journalists pursue the president because they hear the opposing forces are cornering him—and they want to be the ones to break that story. The line of whether their mission is self-serving or for the greater good of the people is a bit blurred, because in a way, the answer is both. While neither Lee nor Joel need the notoriety, they know that this is probably the biggest story of their lives. If they aren’t the ones to break the news, someone else will. Garland captures the nuances of his story’s premise, challenging the audience to consider what they would do in this situation.

Civil War proves that Alex Garland still has some gas in the tank after his previous film, Men, was so poorly received. It explores the morality of the media’s relationship with war while still holding the press in deep reverence. The cast shines, the images are disturbing, and the sound is incredible. If this is truly Garland’s last film before leaving the directing world to focus on screenwriting again, then I wish him the best of luck, but he will be missed—because he’s so back.