WHAT I LIKED: "War is hell," movies are ten a penny, but last year's 'Civil War,' saw Alex Garland deliver one of the genre's most impactful pieces of all. Now he's teamed up with his military advisor Ray Mendoza again to double-down on the same message with a film that realises one brutal real-life combat sequence from the Iraq War.
The result is just as visceral as 'Civil War,' was, if not more because of the fact it all takes place in one location. The group of soldiers start out by taking over a house to do surveillance, and initially there's a lot of waiting around and boredom which all feels very real. Soon though, they realise their location has been compromised, and their opponents start to attack, leaving them stranded and scrambling to find various ways out. This makes them increasingly terrified for their lives, especially when some experience brutal injuries, and the life and death stakes make for a very tense story.
What really brings it home though is the way it's executed; from the brilliantly real performances by the entire cast, to the claustrophobic set and sound design, and Garland's on-the-ground camerawork which captures the mood of the group and the geography of their surroundings.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Once again, the context gets no development at all, so the only real message is how awful war can be for its combatants. That's important of course, but we only get to see one side here, and that's a significant omission particularly for a film about the Iraq war.
VERDICT: 'Warfare,' may just be another "war is hell," movie, but with his intense, realistic approach, Alex Garland once again proves he's a true master of the genre.
