Movie Review: Civil War

4 stars out of 5

This film rattled me so much, I fully expected to exit the multiplex and find that civil war had broken out in the Harmon Plaza parking lot. As soon as I had seen the trailer, I knew I wanted to see this movie: U.S. states seceding, government cracking down on civilians, violence in the streets — it all seemed entirely too plausible. And when I noticed that Alex Garland was the writer and director, I knew we were in very capable hands. His first feature, Ex Machina, was in my top 10 for 2015, and Annihilation from 2018 remains one of my favorite sci-fi films of all time.

Garland wisely doesn’t “pick a side” or even clearly indicate what the sides are in this civil war. We see authoritarianism, we see racism, we’re even told of a defining early event, the “Antifa Massacre” (which made me laugh later, because, did Antifa become a real organization? And did they massacre others, or did they get massacred?). But we’re not given a play-by-play of how this war originated, or who to root for. Instead, we see the conflict through the eyes of four traveling journalists who are simply observing and reporting. In case you forgot, that’s what journalists are supposed to do, even when it shines a negative light on your team.

The cast is superb, starting with our reporting crew: Kirsten Dunst is veteran, decorated photographer Lee Smith (not to be confused with Hall of Fame relief pitcher Lee Smith). Wagner Moura, who you know from Narcos but I don’t, is reporter Joel. Moura is excellent, going from the lighthearted one to supportive to peacemaker to utter despair. I was a little bothered that never really see him reporting/writing. Cailee Spaeny, who was very good as Priscilla Presley in Priscilla, is Jessie, early 20s amateur photographer who idolizes Lee and begs to tag along in their SUV to Washington, DC,which is just barely hanging on as the nation’s capital. Lee sees much of herself in Jessie and wants to protect her. Stephen McKinley Henderson, who I’ve enjoyed since The Newsroom, plays the crusty but wise old reporter Sammy.

In a smaller roles but also quite good is Nick Offerman as the President who has not respected the rights of American citizens. (Offerman, Spaeny, and Henderson were in Garland’s Hulu series Devs, which I’ll be watching soon. Perhaps the MVP here is Jesse “Mr. Dunst” Plemons as a hateful militant the crew encounter on their journey. A frightening portrayal!

Civil War is a very unsettling film that I highly recommend viewing. The key to the story may ultimately be humanity: losing your sense of it, and hopefully regaining it.