-Written by Kyle Bain.
A team of journalists, headed by Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst), traverses the dystopian land that was once a cohesive America. During a futuristic Civil War, this team aims to make it to the capitol in order to interview a president that is tearing the country apart. On their way they will encounter terrors that their newest member could have never anticipated.
Director of Photography Rob Hardy is the key to this film’s success, as his cinematography is immersive and allows viewers to take part in this story rather than sit idly by and watch as the United States suffers great pain. Hardy accomplishes this by keeping the camera at eye level for a great portion of the film. Again, viewers become immersed in the action of the film much like Lee and her cohort as a result of this. By being able to see things from their perspective, viewers are far more likely to understand and appreciate the things playing out on screen throughout the course of Civil War.
Furthermore, it’s clear that Civil War is meant to be as immersive as possible, and the sound plays an integral role in this–much like the cinematography does. Whether it’s gunshots, explosions, or something else entirely, Civil War puts us in the shoes of this team of journalists, right in the midst of this nation-wide firefight. What Sound Designer-Supervising Sound Editor Glenn Freemantle does is develop sound in a way that can only be described as circular, so that it surrounds viewers–further immersing us in this brilliant spectacle.
Civil War doesn’t take sides, and considering the content of the film, this is an incredible feat. With that being said, it seems that the film is attempting to convey something specific about the media. By the end of the film I found myself feeling a particular way about the media, about journalists–and it was a feeling of negativity. Writer-Director Alex Garland seems to try to express to viewers that even though there is a war in full swing strewn throughout the United States, life goes on. As a result of the film following Lee and her fellow journalists, we see this sentiment brought to life through their eyes. To be honest, it makes them seem like assholes. The fact that they are so easily able to separate themselves from the horror that surrounds them creates something of a disconnect.
To be clear, they are relatable characters, but seeing how little they attempt to care about the abundance of death makes it challenging for viewers to truly care for them. With that, I believe Garland made a conscious effort to express this, in this exact way, to viewers. He wants us to understand the ebb and flow of warfare and how it affects people from different walks of life. Civil War does effectively display this–and whether or not he intended me to, I struggled to like the journalists by the end of the film.
What’s really interesting about the dynamic between the journalists and viewers is that I’m not sure that we are ever able to conclude whether those journalists are protagonists or antagonists. The film plays with the boundaries of both, and it causes viewers to constantly question where they land in regard to their role in the war. Are they proponents of it? Are they trying to spread the word so that the war comes to the end? I’m not sure that either of these questions are answered during Civil War, and like everything else, I believe that Garland does this on purpose. By leaving this aspect of the film open ended it forces viewers to revisit it time and time again after the film has concluded. Garland does a brilliant job of extending Civil War beyond its hour-and-forty-nine minute runtime.
The acting is beyond adequate, and, like everything else, ensures that viewers become immersed in this dystopian world. Dunst, and literally everyone else, carries themselves well, but it’s Jesse Plemons (credited only as “soldier”) that steals the show. With only approximately five-minutes of screentime, Plemons is tasked with making his small role pop, and he does just that. He exists in the most intense scene of Civil War–and he carries it. He takes hold of that scene, takes control of the emotion in his moments on screen, and he allows the film to peak while he’s there. Typically a role this small wouldn’t require an actor of this caliber, but Plemons is among only a handful of actors that could have handled this role–and his performance is one of the most memorable things in a truly spectacular film.
Dunst was quoted saying something along the lines of needing a mental break after completing filming of Civil War. I completely understand her comment, as I found this film to be utterly terrifying. This isn’t a horror film by any stretch of the imagination, but the scene that Garland paints for viewers is stunning. He develops something that mirrors our reality so vividly, yet it’s fractured to the point where it’s simultaneously unrecognizable. Between that direct reflection and complete opposition of our world, viewers are able to understand that there is genuine truth existing within each and every second of Civil War. We are made to understand that, while this may be an extreme example, the events of Civil War aren’t too far fetched. This film has the potential to become reality, and it’s a cautionary tale (in more than one way), pleading with viewers to come to terms with their reality and what their actions may mean for the future.
Civil War is a heart-pounding thriller that speaks honestly to its audience. It paints a very real picture of what could happen if we don’t change our ways–if we don’t look for massive change in the immediate future. It doesn’t take sides, it doesn’t force opinions on the audience, and Garland and his team create something impressively immersive, pulling us in and allowing us to participate in this deleterious situation. Civil War is, without a doubt, one of the best things that I’ve seen in some time–and it’s the best film of 2024 to date.
Written & Directed by Alex Garland.
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinely Henderson, Nelson Lee, Nick Offerman, Jesse Plemons, etc.
9.5/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND GET TO THE THEATER NOW
