Warfare Is A Powerful But Grueling Glimpse Into the Iraq War - Review

Alex Garland & Ray Mendoza’s Warfare delivers a brutal dose of reality.

We’ve grown all too accustomed to films informing the audience right off the bat that what you’re about to see is ‘based on a true story.’ ‘Warfare’ puts a spin on the traditional language by making audiences aware that the film is based on the real memories and testimonies of the platoon members involved. Something about this specification immediately informs this is more of a re-enactment, a raw re-telling of events without the same cinematic embellishments that we’re conditioned to expect.

This is a fascinating follow-up to Alex Garland’s ‘Civil War’ from 2024.

‘Warfare’ teams Garland with co-director Ray Mendoza. Mendoza, a U.S. Navy SEAL who served during the Iraq War, worked as the military supervisor on ‘Civil War‘ and now gets to share his personal experiences from the Battle of Ramadi. This provides an extreme sense of authenticity to ‘Warfare,’ which you don’t usually see captured in film. This also means it’s a grueling watch. There isn’t much fun to be had here, even though the level of quality is high.

Most of the films take place in one location, in real-time. Even when the action level is low, the feeling of tension is extremely high. In my relatively crowded theater, you could hear a pin drop. When the situation does get tough, there’s no cut away from the difficulties and agony on screen. You’re right there with this platoon until they make it out of their given situation. The film also doesn’t take time to explain the hows and whys of what the soldiers are doing – and it’s unnecessary. It’s easy to get the picture.

There’s a notable cast of young up-and-comers, including Joseph Quinn, Will Poulter, Charles Melton, Cosmo Jarvis, Michael Gandolfini, and more. D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai plays Mendoza himself. Performances all around are great, and the ensemble operates like a true platoon.

Verdict

I give ‘Warfare’ 3 out of 5 stars. It is an expertly executed and performed depiction of real events with the involvement of the actual platoon whose story is being told. However, its authenticity also makes it a rather difficult watch without much fun to be had. It’s worth seeing, but it won’t be added to your list of rewatchables.