Warfare
15
Written and directed by Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza in collaboration with Alex Garland (Ex Machina, 28 Days Later), Warfare embeds audiences with a platoon of American Navy SEALs in the home of an Iraqi family, overwatching the movement of US forces through insurgent territory.
The film is an intense, brutal and harrowing work, made possible by the phenomenal cast of young performers who bring the script to life including D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn, Cosmo Jarvis and Kit Connor. Whilst each individual performance is impressive, the power of the group as a collective is what makes the film standout, creatng space amidst the overwhelming nature of the situation to consider bigger themes about modern masculinity and contemporary conflict.
Details
“By peeling away the celebratory trappings, the valour and the glory and the duty to God and country, Warfare lays bare an awful lot of questions. The overriding impression, once the adrenaline has drained away, is of futility, waste and pointless destruction.”
Wendy Ide, The Guardian
“War is hell, and Warfare refuses to shy away from it. Free of the operatics of most supposed anti-war films, it’s all the more effective for its simplicity. It is respectfully gruelling.”
Empire