Warfare

Warfare
Starring D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Joseph Quinn
Directed by Ray Mendoza & Alex Garland

War movies have existed for decades, and usually glorify war and include some super-human hero who single-handedly takes down all the bad guys with rippling muscles and a carefree attitude that glorifies war as something exciting and action-packed. And for decades Hollywood has done a disservice to what war is really about, because it's nowhere near as glamorized or single-person heroic as the movies make it seem, with "Warfare" being one that buries you in the trenches with the men involved, telling the true story of a group of SEALS who were trapped in a home in Ramadi, Iraq, in 2006. It's a film that - for anyone who actually went to war - will bring back memories and possible PTSD due to its realistic nature, and is an unflinching look at the terrors of war. It's equal parts war movie and horror movie, and shot and performed in such a way it almost feels like a documentary. You're there with the men through 95 minutes of hell on earth, and by the end you'll be left awestruck and moved by the events you see on screen, knowing it actually happened in real life.

In Ramadi, Iraq, in 2006, a group of Navy SEALS led by Officer in Charge Erik (Will Poulter) take control of a home to monitor terrorist actions possibly happening across the street. The team includes communicator Ray Mendoza (D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), lead sniper Elliott Miller (Cosmo Jarvis), gunner Tommy (Kit Connor), communicator John (Finn Bennett), leading Petty Officer Sam (Joseph Quinn), Assistant Officer in Charge Jake (Charles Melton), and sniper Frank (Taylor John Smith). While Elliott keeps tabs on the events across the street, they come under attack by insurgents and they attempt to escape, but an IED goes off, trapping the men in the house. As some are physically wounded, others are mentally scarred by the events, and as they await for another extraction, come under constant fire.

"Warfare" is a unique film in several ways, and also one of the most subtly profound war movies in recent memory. It's not a movie that glorifies war or includes numerous action sequences that overlays any character development, but rather an intimate, personal tale told by one of the survivors of that day. Ray Mendoza - who worked as a military advisor for director Alex Garland on his 2024 war film "Civil War" - was there in 2006 when the events occurred. Everything told is from the memories of himself and those who were there, collaborated by at least two of the men who were there as well, and doesn't in any way glorify what happened. It's dark, it's powerful, it's deeply human, and will deeply stick with you after it ends.

The movie keeps itself tight-knit with the characters we see on screen, and unlike other war movies we don't really know anything about them other than their jobs in the war. We don't see any flashbacks of them at home hugging their wives and children; we don't have any moments of brevity where they enjoy a drink or celebrate killing an enemy soldier; we don't get anything to remove ourselves from the situation on screen as the men this happened to didn't either. We're in the home with them, we feel what they feel, we hear what they hear, and we endure what they endure. No one is labeled a hero in the ways you see in other war films, but each man is necessary and needed. This is an ensemble film, and the cast fully encapsulated that feeling (in fact, several of the actors after the film ended got matching tattoos that say "call on me," a reference to an early scene and also the brotherhood that was created during filming).

The filming itself is unique in that it was shot in-sequence, and the movie itself plays out in real time. After the title drops, the run time depicts the real duration of the mission itself, which further adds to the intense feel of it. Also unique is the fact that there is no soundtrack to the movie, but fourteen people were involved in the sound design of the film. When the movie opens - after a moment where the men share a light moment - we're treated to them traveling in the dead of night through Ramadi with no backing musical score. It's silent - eerily so - and further adds to the realism of the movie. There's no rousing chorus as the men get into a shootout, no melodramatic music when it all hits the fan, and no ethereal background music to bring you down from the situation. No music, but the sound is deafening. The shootouts make you feel like you're experiencing it in your very soul, and even simple noises like dog barks resonate like an explosion. I really hope this will get recognized come awards season, but I fear it's too early in the year and will be overshadowed by other work.

From start to finish, "Warfare" is an unflinching, unapologetic look at a real-life event told by memory from those who were there, and shot in such a way that makes us feel we were there as well. It's an unforgettable film that will stick with you long after it ends, and showcases the power of brotherhood in the midst of a living hell.

The Score: A+