Critic’s Pick: “Warfare” Is a Difficult, Uncomfortable Watch
Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s film about an American platoon in Iraq refuses to entertain with its admirably staged bloodshed or witty repartee. Instead, it presents a purposely sad, angry movie that is as much a lament as a warning.
The film tracks a U.S. Navy SEAL team during a calamitous mission in Iraq, where they take over a seemingly ordinary home and place the inhabitants under guard. The men wait and watch, listening to radio commands and watching surveillance footage, as they try to complete their objective without revealing too much about it.
Garland is skilled at building suspense, turning quiet spaces into unrelenting zones of dread. He also highlights the relativity of war by contrast, opening with a ridiculous music video that showcases the lighthearted world of American men before they’re thrust into the chaos of battle.
The SEAL unit is led by Captain Erik (Will Poulter), who must make tough decisions without explanation or solace. The team’s actions are tense and graphic, but there is no glory in their violence. The film’s restraint is a deliberate choice that makes “Warfare” feel rare in contemporary American cinema.
A poignant moment highlights the human cost of war: a woman screams “Why?” as children die under the orders of those in power. This question seems worth asking when faced with such senseless loss, and it appears Garland and Mendoza are also grappling with this theme.
With its unflinching portrayal of war’s horrors and unsentimental approach to action, “Warfare” is a difficult watch. However, for its courage and restraint in the face of graphic violence, it earns high praise.
Rated R for intense, at times graphic violence.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/10/movies/warfare-review.html