It looks like there are only 19 days left to catch one of the best indie gems in recent memory before it leaves HBO Max. The film is quiet, claustrophobic, and eerie. And critics thought relatively highly of it, rating the movie 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, saying it’s both gripping and unsettling, and showcases an uncomfortably close-up look at the violent uncertainty of life in a nation that’s in military crisis with itself.
Alex Garland’s Civil War stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, and Stephen Henderson in a dystopian take on the near future for the United States as it decimates itself in an ongoing civil war. The film, which is full of powerhouse performances, especially from Dunst and Moura, follows a team of war journalists and photographers, traveling alongside the military as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House. Each moment is filled with tension, leaving the audience feeling like they’re sitting on a knife-edge for its 1 hour and 49-minute run time. It’s not a movie made with escapism as its intent, but to confront the audience with a harsh reality.
It’s called Civil War for a reason, and the film doesn’t shy away from violence, with the sound design feeling especially brutal, lauded for its realistic portrayal of actual gunshots. But if you’re hoping for the ‘why’ behind the United States being at war with itself, then you might be in for disappointment. The film stays very much in the moment, almost to an anxiety-inducing degree. In response to one viewer calling the film small, another said, “It doesn’t dive into politics if that’s what you mean. But I wouldn’t call it ‘small.’ Its whole third act involves a full-scale military invasion of the Capitol. I think perhaps some people were expecting it to focus more on the president/decision makers in the conflict, so I thought it was great they instead focused on the observers.”
Critic Sammie Purcell of Rough Draft Atlanta says, “With Civil War, Garland doesn’t appear to be interested in the socio-political landscape that would lead to a national conflict, but rather how far people will go to pretend everything is fine when everything is so painfully not.” And that’s what makes it such a successful movie. The focus isn’t on the ‘why,’ but instead on the ‘what next?’ It’s a bleak and violent look into what people, especially those who are responsible for telling the world’s stories, will do to ensure their survival—and how far they’ll go to get that story.
Do you have a favorite moment from Civil War? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to see what other fans are saying.
