Unflinching, pulse-pounding and masterfully crafted. Those are the words I would use to describe A24’s newest film, “Warfare” (2025). Based on actual events and set in 2006 during the Iraq War, specifically the Battle of Ramadi, the film follows a platoon of Navy SEALs on a surveillance mission that goes horribly wrong.
“Warfare” is co-directed by 2024’s “Civil War” director Alex Garland and Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza, who served as the military stunt coordinator on “Civil War.” Mendoza was on the mission dramatized in “Warfare” and is played by D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai in the film.
What makes “Warfare” stand apart from other war films is that it is being marketed as a film solely based on the memories of those who survived this mission. No rearranging of the sequence of events for dramatic effect and no cutaways to other perspectives except those in our platoon. The film takes this approach to authenticity so far that there is no music for the entirety of the film. The only noise the audience can hear is the heart-stopping sound design during the combat and the occasional military chatter between soldiers. The film plays out in real time for 90 straight minutes. There are cuts, but only two to black: one near the beginning and one at the end.
“Warfare” boasts a remarkable ensemble cast. Some of Hollywood’s youngest and most prominent names are on the call sheet. Stars such as Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton and Will Poulter are here, along with up-and-comers Michael Gandolfini, Kit Connor and Taylor John Smith. My favorites in the cast include Woon-A-Tai, Quinn and Cosmo Jarvis, best known for his work in the Emmy-winning show “Shogun” (2024). All three men deliver harrowing and tear-jerking performances.
“Warfare” is the first film of 2025 that I recommend seeing in theaters. I saw the movie in IMAX and each bullet fired, explosion and low-flying jet made my seat rumble and my heart pound out of my chest. In addition, and this is due to the performances, the screams of pain from the wounded soldiers are sounds I will never forget.
While “Warfare” lacks the typical character development and dramatic flair often seen in war films like Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan” (1998) and William Oliver Stone’s “Platoon” (1986), that doesn’t mean the movie has nothing to say. The camaraderie and brotherhood shown on screen between the cast is powerful, like that of “Band of Brothers” (2001). Furthermore, the editing and solemn ending make for a reflective walk out of the theater. I kept asking myself, “What was the point of that?” Not the movie, but the mission those real young men went on and died for.
Overall, “Warfare” was an unforgettable movie theater experience: a gripping, haunting tribute that honors the soldiers’ bravery while questioning the heavy cost and futility of their sacrifice.
Rating: 4/5
