Civil War (2024)

A week after many have watched this movie in the states, I finally got to see the latest Alex Garland film, “Civil War,” and I have to say I went in very worried.⠀

I am a big Alex Garland fan, but all the reviews I was seeing were getting me very worried. Most said it was empty, spineless, and that it had nothing to say. Well, I must have watched a different movie because I feel it’s the most powerful movie of the year so far and probably Garland’s masterpiece that with time will grow out to be so much more.

I can see why this movie could divide people. It has a very clear message, a message that only a great writer like Garland could transmit without ever having to take a side, just like a journalist that is impartial—his job is to present the facts and we take our own conclusions. The genius of this is that for most, it should be very clear what is the right side and what he is trying to warn all of us.

I see many complaining that they expected something else, something more political, but I think what he does is letting people from both sides see the movie in a different way, and it does say a lot about how you see this movie.⠀

The movie is absolutely beautiful. There is some of the best cinematography in this movie that I have seen in a long time, but that is not the only technical aspect I want to point out. The way sound and music are used in this movie is just something else. This is a movie that knows how to use every medium in a masterful way.⠀


Now it’s time to talk about the talent in front of the camera. This is Kirsten Dunst’s best role in a very long time, and after “Priscilla,” Cailee Spaeny kills yet in another role with a naive character that becomes more and more numb to the violence of the world, and she does this perfectly. To no surprise, even by just having a couple of minutes on screen, who steals the show is yet again Jesse Plemons. What a scene. It’s terrifying in every way.

I just can’t stop thinking about this movie, and many will put it to the side about being a poor commentary on the world today, but what I believe many will miss is just how intelligent it is to let us go in and take sides and draw our own conclusions.⠀

For me, this is Alex Garland’s best movie. What is yours?