‘Look for the blood and the smoke…’
Alex Garland is a rare example of a filmmaker who has managed to become very successful without compromising or watering down the work that he puts out. Following the success of Civil War, and the current hype around 28 Years Later, Garland’s stock has never been higher. While it felt like Warfare, Garland’s other 2025 film, came and went at the box office (it eventually recouped its production budget and made a modest profit), strong reviews and word-of-mouth will surely see the film gain the recognition it deserves come the end-of-year lists in December…
Warfare was pieced together from fragments of memory and official military documents based on the recollections of the Battle of Ramadi as provided by a team of Navy SEALs. The film was co-written and directed by Ray Mendoza, himself a veteran (and portrayed here by D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), and this lends the film a visceral and often startling authenticity that thrusts the viewer among the smoke and the sand in a way that is nerve-shreddingly immersive. The rest of the ensemble cast is made up of Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor and Joseph Quinn.
Often, the battle sequences are my least favourite part of war films. I’m here for the camaraderie. The story behind the fighting. The brotherhood. Even I have to admit, however, that the war scenes here are so utterly spellbinding that I was on the edge of my seat throughout. We get just enough character building in the opening scenes to ensure that the stakes are in place for the rest of the film, and when the fighting does eventually hit, it hits hard and fast. Indeed, Warfare clips along at a lightning pace, whilst still offering enough exposition to ensure that despite portraying the horrors of war in all its mundane complexity, the intricacies of the situation facing the soldiers are never lost or confused. Clarity is the key word here, and that surely comes from Mendoza with all of his first-hand experience. That being said, Garland’s steady hand is clear to see throughout the film also, and the two of them together make for a formidable directing duo.
Warfare is quite unlike any other war film I’ve seen. It’s more real. More profound. In many ways, it’s like the beach landing scene from Saving Private Ryan, but maintained across 95 punishing minutes. With this and 28 Years Later coming out within months of each other, Garland has confirmed his status as one of mainstream cinema’s most compelling voices. The film is an unforgettable thrill ride.
