Set in the near future, Alex Garland’s chilling dystopian anti-war thriller, Civil War, takes viewers on a brutal road trip from New York to Washington DC (referred to as the front-line) as a group of journalists make their way to interview a US President (Nick Offerman) who is refusing to step down from his second term in office. There are shades of Apocalypse Now and 1970s radical cinema in the acclaimed writer’s fourth feature film in the directorial seat following Ex-Machina, Annihilation and Men. Garland has also mentioned Elem Klimov’s Come and See as a source of inspiration.
Kirsten Dunst stars as the jaded and fearless Lee, a war photographer who is travelling with fellow journalists Joel (Wagner Moura) and Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson). They’ve all got a few mental battle scars and are joined by young aspiring photojournalist Jessie (Cailee Spaeny) and Lee fangirl who learns about the thrills and horrors of war journalism while on the job. Garland reflects this dichotomy of bearing unbiased witness to violence and the buzz of getting the scoop with his haunting and oppressive imagery depicting the destruction of democracy. It is crafted with terrifying splendour.
The ensemble actors are excellent; you can literally see Spaeny age over the course of the film as her character gets deeper into the conflict and the casting of Dunst in the lead role ensures the film sizzles with her intense screen presence. Lee is a rugged character who isn’t afraid to get into the sweaty, thick of things and Dunst plays the role with delicacy and nuance; her withering glances are perfectly judged. She’s never a mouthpiece and is bestowed with an underlying fragility that serves the story well.
Civil War is a film that cuts close to the bone in terms of the rise of populism and the fact that it is an election year by portraying the USA as a warzone. It is provocative and thoughtfully written by Garland, and a conversation starter that places focus on the shift in journalism and integrity in the digital age.
Civil War is out in cinemas on 12 April
