Released April 11, 2025, WARFARE is produced by independent film company A24. Directed by Iraq War Veteran Ray Mendoza and filmmaker Alex Garland – known for Civil War (2024) and Ex Machina (2015) – the war film sets out to recreate one of Mendoza’s traumatic experiences during his 2006 deployment during the Iraq War. WARFARE sets out to invite audiences into the mind of Mendoza with explosive, tightly-knit moments, raw & brutal realism, and the psychological impact of facing death around every corner.
The film opens with a moment of camaraderie among the ensemble cast that serves as bonding scene that contrasts sharply with the rest of the film’s intensity. It subtly reminds the audience that, regardless of how American soldiers were perceived during the Iraq War, they were still human. A good comparison to apply to this movie would be to that of other war films that take place in the middle east, but instead of having the action scenes take place to move the plot, Warfare is about the firefight itself. In movies such as Black Hawk Down, Jarhead, or The Hurt Locker action takes place sporadically across the films for around 5-10 minutes each at most-Warfare on the other hand does the opposite. Zooming on the action, slowing to a crawl, the audience can really step into the mind of each soldier portrayed to see the hesitation, the adrenaline, and the courage needed to muster in the do-or-die situation the cast gets thrown in.
The audience is hurtled straight into the gritty, concussive violence the soldiers are met with from every direction. The shot of each weapon being fired felt powerful as it blasted through the IMAX speakers, as if Ray Mendoza gave the cast real weapons to shoot on set. Whenever there was a microcosm of calm in the air, there would also be another fire for each of the soldiers put out. With no idea if the opposition would land a decisive blow, Mendoza does a good job visually and audibly encapsulating the terror that any misstep would lead to a fatal casualty. Mendoza stepping into the director’s chair here was a perfect decision to allow him to express his creativity and willingness to show how real he could portray the film’s events.
During the events of the film, all of which are told from the traumatic events that Mendoza experienced, Mendoza did an exceptional job showing the true-to-life experience he faced without much or any of the standard Hollywood theatrics that some might see littered in other action/war films. Instead, the film demonstrates the individual experiences that each soldier faces during the midst of the action. Showing the actors’ expressions, the looks of uncertainty, fear, and having to stomach it all to keep their composure. The confusion, disillusionment, and the reality-shattering depicted by the actors’ echoes across the film’s entirety. With characters facing the responsibility of managing and caring for the lives of others, the breakdown of their uncaring demeanors as the reality of war set in would lead to the film’s conclusion being somber one and a reminder that war always takes a toll on both sides. A highly recommended watch for film lovers and war buffs alike.