Director: Alex Garland
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno, Nick Offerman
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 109 mins

Civil War is the new film by Alex Garland set in a dystopian United States where violence has engulfed the nation. Originally esteemed for his screenwriting, Garland’s directorial career has been very strong so far. I loved Ex Machina and found plenty to admire in Annihilation. I wasn’t quite as hot on his folk horror Men but it was still a fiercely original piece. 

Civil War centres on four journalists, two of whom are trying to make their way to Washington D.C. to interview and photograph the President before the city falls. Renowned war photogapher Lee Miller (Kirsten Dunst) is the film’s front and centre, joined by her colleague Joel (Wagner Moura). Older veteran journalist Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) wants to accompany them as far as Charlottesville and aspiring photojournalist Jessie Cullen (Cailee Spaeny) blags a space in the car to follow her idol, Lee. 

Civil War is a brilliant film – it’s well-paced and sustains its unnerving tension throughout. I really connected with the characters and the film looks more expensive than its $50 million budget suggests.  I loved its depiction of journalism in how there is the dedication, thrills, rush and joy of creating content. The idea of one photo every 100 being perfect is also true, but the lengths in which Garland depicts journalists in capturing even a single photo (for example, by jumping into enemy gunfire) is chilling. I also loved how photojournalism was edited into the film and Civil War is about how a story becomes an image. Sound is also used to brilliant effect, with the lack of sound in key sequences very effective in increasing tension and portraying how used to violence these characters have become. 

Garland doesn’t take a viewpoint on the war and the film has received some criticism for this. But I think Garland has deliberately chosen to remain neutral, firstly because that’s how a publication should treat an event (even if that doesn’t happen) and to also convey the message that the population have forgotten who and what they’re fighting. There’s a powerful line in a shootout between two parties, where one of the opponents tells the journalist simply ““Someone’s trying to kill us, so we’re trying to kill them”.  

Kirsten Dunst is terrific as the world-weary veteran war journalist. Lee has clearly become disillusioned and manages to convey her vast amounts of experience solely through her tired expression and the way in which she drags her feet. In fact, all of the journalists just look plain tired, overworked and underpaid, an unfortunate side of the industry. 

Wagner Moura is excellent too, as a journalist who thrives when there’s violence, and the ever-reliable Stephen McKinely Henderson makes a powerful impression as the older wisened writer. Cailee Spaeny isn’t quite as effective as the main trio, but recaptures a similar naivety she had in Priscilla. Jesse Plemons is every bit as terrifying as you’ve been led to believe and Nick Offerman is an eerily evocative choice as the power-strapped President, who Garland brilliantly portrays in the film’s opening rehearsing a speech. 

Civil War is ultimately a glum but eye-opening thrill ride and it’s quite possibly Garland’s best directorial effort to date. In recent interviews, Garland has said he is going to step away from directing and if this is the case (given that he’s still attached to co-direct Warfare), this is a hell of a high note to go out on.