Warfare

Rating 6/10

Warfare depicts the joint alliance of U.S. military forces with Iraqi soldiers working together to reclaim the city of Ramadi from insurgents that included al-Qaeda. The combat film set in 2006 during the Iraq War is co-directed by Alex Garland and former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza. The operation thrusts viewers into the chaos and moral ambiguity of armed conflict without any exposition.

Drawing from Mendoza’s real-life experiences, the picture presents a mission he and his platoon undertook on November 19. In the aftermath of the Battle of Ramadi, the city had become a major hotspot for insurgent activity. The story follows the Navy SEAL platoon Alpha One as they occupy a civilian home to provide overwatch for a Marine operation. They’re led by Officer in Charge Erik (Will Poulter) and Assistant OIC Jake (Charles Melton), with sniper and medic Elliott Miller (Cosmo Jarvis), communicator Ray Mendoza (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), and LPO Sam (Joseph Quinn). The team soon finds themselves surrounded and under siege by insurgents. After an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) detonates, local translator Farid (Nathan Altai) is killed, and both Sam and Elliott are seriously wounded.

Warfare has cinematic value because it offers a frank and visceral portrayal of combat. It dramatizes this undertaking with unflinching realism. The team faces mounting pressure and dwindling options while calling for extraction amid urban hostilities and the constant threat of further attacks. The movie captures the intensity of a close-quarters battle with raw, immersive detail. This is not a Hollywood war story—it’s a harrowing dive into bloody horrors. Yet, it lacks broader context.

We’re given no background on the larger military action, no personal backstories to humanize the characters, not even a musical score to enhance our emotions.  The film’s unemotional and apolitical stance is refreshing but also frustrating. By sidestepping what these soldiers are fighting for, or against, the narrative reduces its characters’ suffering to an empty spectacle.  This is simply a brutal account of a U.S. special forces mission gone wrong. If nothing else, it is a tribute to the SEALs who lived through this horrific experience. It is an agonizing watch— so I can’t say that I enjoyed it—but it gave me a deeper appreciation for what these young men endured. In case the hundreds of other movies didn’t convey the message, War is Hell.

05-08-25