Perhaps it would be fitting to continue noting that our world is embroiled in the chaos and desolation of war. War has constantly redirected our history and comes with a cost: humanity and its values. Director Alex Garland here wastes not an ounce of time with some exposition about how this setting is crafted (although one can argue this is severely frustrating when we’re dealing with a parallel universe about another civil war erupting in America). He thrusts us into an exasperating atmosphere, hellbent on the experiences of a group of photojournalists embarking on a perilous, borderline suicidal mission to make their way to Washington, D.C., in the final days of the ongoing conflict. Much like he did with Men, Garland collapses when it comes to the final part, leaving audiences clutched in their seats before creating a bathetic last shot.
The primary trajectory of Civil War is a road trip, with our four characters traveling from N.Y. to D.C. and encountering a myriad of dead bodies and bombs going off and folks getting shot in front of their camera lenses. At the same time, they come to understand the gruesomeness of their involvement. It’s a war not necessarily taking shots at current topics in today’s time (MAGA, wokeness, international conflicts, border securities), but another line of separation with states marching out against the authoritarian government (synonymous with times over decades ago of state vs. federal power). Subjectively, one could even claim this theme already permeates America’s current system.
The pivotal aspect is the journalists and their journey here (while the production crew takes some tidbits from Salvador and Welcome to Sarajevo). Kirsten Dunst plays Lee, a veteran photojournalist from Colorado. Her stone-faced expression remains consistent amidst the violence and turns her into an emotionless shell as she confronts the horror in her backyard. Her partner, Joel (Wagner Moura), is more of a free-spirited junkie that enjoys the battle. They travel alongside Lee’s elderly mentor, Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), and the fresh-faced and naive photographer Jessie (Cailee Spaeny). An intriguing observation is you’re not sure which side these journalists are on in this war, as their sole objective is to record history and risk their lives to complete this objective.
Garland knows how to keep you on edge with his claustrophobic direction, and some sequences (particularly the one involving Jesse Plemons) provide an authentically chilling sensation in this 109-minute ride. The film grips with a loftier ambition at its core, one where its parable of American infighting is a queasy alarm coming, thanks in no large part to our documentation of the bodies dropping and the blood soaking up the streets. When does the fighting end, it seems? Admittedly, it would’ve been a bit generous had Garland explained ever-so-slightly how this skirmish came about between the states. And, the ending becomes haphazardly lazy for a film that got along by the director’s tautness and observation.
Nevertheless, it’s not an easy movie to shake off due no less to its captivating political material that stirs up this country every day. Controversial while astutely violent, Civil War seeps through with the potential of a realistic nightmare that might be a few steps away.
