Civil War

Director: Alex Garland
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoyo Mizuno, Jefferson White, Nelson Lee, Nick Offerman
Running Time: 109 min.
Rating: R

★★★★ (out of ★★★★)  

It seems the biggest obstacle still facing those on the fence about seeing Alex Garland's unnervingly realistic dystopian thriller Civil War is the worry it's too political. Trailers and commercials have done little to alleviate those concerns, prompting many to already file this under "the last thing we need right now." But the biggest surprise to come out of this harrowing war drama and road trip movie is just how apolitical it actually is. Instead, it's the harsh immediacy of Garland's fictitious scenario that stands out, rarely offering a breather from the emotional and psychological trauma engulfing these characters.

Clearly intended to serve as a cryptic warning, Garland knows it isn't about picking sides, but crafting a sci-fi parable where there are no easy choices. What separates us destroys us and that certain details remain vague feels fitting since audiences will just end up projecting their own beliefs and viewpoints onto it anyway. Everyone sees themselves as the hero in their own story, with the film far less interested in the cause of this polarization than its potentially dire consequences.

The United States is in the midst of a civil war and an authoritarian government led by a third-term president and accused fascist (Nick Offerman) is on the verge of surrendering to the Western Alliance, consisting of armed militias from Texas and California. With the entire nation split into various factions, jaded war photographer Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst) and her Reuters colleague Joel (Wagner Moura) plan on driving to Washington D.C. to interview the embattled president. Their mentor Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) views it as a careless suicide mission, but joins in to get a ride to Charlottesville, Virginia's front line. 

Also tagging along is aspiring young photojournalist Jessie Cullen (Cailee Spaeny), who Lee encountered during a previous bombing and is none too happy about "babysitting" on this trip. Soon, all four are thrown headfirst into deadly situations few in any profession would be capable of handling. Evading sniper fire and ruthless militants, they continue their trek to D.C., unsure of the violence that awaits, providing they survive long enough to experience it.

There's no voice-over telling us who's in what faction, why certain states seceded, nor are we given an extensive recap detailing the background. Like the characters, we're just kind of dropped into this hell and given enough respect to figure things out on our own without sermonizing or judgment, making the unfolding atrocities all that much scarier. And while valuable information is frequently dispensed, most of it comes through these journalists as they struggle to objectively navigate this brutal situation. 

Texas and California's union indicates the script isn't tipping its hand in either direction, as it shouldn't since these events are presumed to be taking place in a hypothetical future. That detractors have ignored this is a credit to the film's realism, further supporting its point that a similar scenario is right around the corner if work isn't put in to prevent it. Well beyond politics, wars often begin for crazy, pointless reasons that only seem logical to those who start them, yet always remain preventable before, during and after they're already underway.    

This is far from Lee's first rodeo, mastering the art of compartmentalization because no photograph is off limits. For her, Jessie's presence is an irritant, most likely because the sensitive, inexperienced Missourian represents the younger version of herself she had to leave behind to do this. If Lee's flattered by Jessie's idolization of her, she sure won't show it, which is hardly a surprise coming from someone who admits she wouldn't hesitate photographing her newest protege being killed. And when a traumatized Jessie freezes during a scary gas station encounter, Lee's stone cold reaction only confirms it.

While unquestionably an ensemble effort, it's Dunst's movie, barely hinting what lies beneath Lee's numb outer shell as it finally starts to crack, the lines and expressions on her face telling us everything we need to know. And having recently played a naive, impressionable character thrown into a world she can't comprehend in Priscilla, Spaeny portrays another odd woman out in Jessie, who's underestimated at every turn. Wanting nothing more than to walk in the shoes of her idol, she'll get that chance, but this rite of passage won't be worth celebrating. 

If Jamie represents who Lee was, it's Sammy she fears becoming, and veteran character actor McKinley Henderson plays him with a plainspoken sincerity and wisdom that comes from experiences the rest don't yet have. A New York Times field reporter aging out of his job, he knows the score and despite his awful, sinking feeling about this trip, he's not quite ready to ride off into the sunset. Of the four, Maura's Joel is the risk-taking adventurer, but even he'll realize this is way more than any of them bargained for. None have the luxury of denying reality, unlike the residents of a quaint, unaffected rural town they'll pass through, as if it were a stop in The Twilight Zone.

The film's scariest moment comes when the four encounter a sadistic militia leader played by Jesse Plemons in a brief, terrifying turn that makes his Todd from Breaking Bad seem like a boy scout. It's also the point where Garland draws a line in the sand, forcing us separate the few details we know about this conflict from evil in its purest form. And in a film filled with jarring, unforgettable shots from cinematographer Rob Hardy, this sequence provides its queasiest, paving the way for a brilliantly shot action finale that sees Western Forces descending upon D.C. in search of a secluded president running low on options.

It's hard to believe a picture this gigantic in scope runs just under two hours, but Jake Roberts' editing ensures that the pacing never lags and there's barely a minute to come up for air, with fear and dread intruding on even the quietest of scenes. Zeroing in on the involuntary instincts that kick in when confronted by humanity's worst, these adrenaline-addicted journalists are rightly scared to death, but joined by a shared obsession to tell the story through their lens, whatever the cost. In depicting a nation fraying at the seams, Civil War recognizes the media's reckless ambition, while also acknowledging just how much of themselves get lost in the process. Everyone thinks they're ready, but it isn't until entering the belly of the beast that they'll find out.