A24 is so confident about Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s “Warfare” that they’ve decided to lift the review embargo exactly two weeks before its release, on April 11.
This is a war film that reminded me of Ridley Scott’s “Black Hawk Down” — no character development, but viscerally penetrating action. Claustrophobic in its attempt to put you right inside the action, “Warfare” is Garland flexing his technical muscles and rewarding the viewer with a cryptic yet very kinetic experience.
The reviews are mostly positive for “Warfare,” but again, it all depends if you’re willing to give in to a film that’s more about delivering pulse-pounding thrills than any kind of sketched-out characters.
IndieWire (B-), Deadline (Pan), The Guardian (3/5) Variety (Mixed), EW (Pan), The Independent (3/5), Slash Film (Positive), AV Club (B+), Slant (3/4), Empire (5/5), Screen (Positive), The Telegraph (Positive), The Times (Positive)
Garland co-directs with Iraq veteran Ray Mendoza. Mendoza, a veteran, is a war expert having collaborated with the History Channel as a producer on the documentary series.
The film takes place in “real time” but it’s not like a ticking clock movie. It’s a true story about a troop of American soldiers, in an undisclosed mission during the Iraq War, who find themselves trapped in a firefight without support. The result is a relentless 90-minute war movie.
Garland is the filmmaker behind “Civil War,” “Ex-Machina,” “Annihilation,” “Dredd” and “Men.” He’s also the screenwriter behind “28 Days Later,” “Sunshine,” and “Never Let Me Go.” Up next for him is “28 Years Later,” set for summer release, which he wrote and Danny Boyle directs.