YNOT at the Movies

Even though we all know war is brutal, our imagination is often limited to the depiction in Hollywood war epics. Directors Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza strip away the glamour of those war movies in "Warfare" (USA 2025 | 95 min.), delivering a harrowing, real-time descent into the chaos of combat. With its cinéma vérité approach, extended takes, and refusal to indulge in traditional war movie tropes, the film is an unrelenting and intense experience that captures the true brutality of war when a surveillance operation goes catastrophically wrong.

Based on a real-life mission in Ramadi, Iraq, in 2006, the film follows a group of young Navy SEALs deployed on a reconnaissance mission in insurgent-held territory. Among them are characters played by Charles Melton, Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Cosmo Jarvis, among others. As they set up a lookout position in an Iraqi apartment building next to an enemy stronghold, their presence is soon discovered, and the situation rapidly deteriorates, leading to a desperate fight for survival.

"Warfare" stands out for its authenticity among war movies. The script, co-written by Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza, is based on real accounts from veteran Ray Mendoza and his fellow SEALs who were part of the actual operation. This firsthand experience is evident in every aspect of the storytelling—from the precise tactical maneuvers to the raw emotional toll of combat. The film does not concern itself with heroics or grandiose speeches; instead, it sustains tension by focusing on the brutal, minute-to-minute struggle of soldiers trying to stay alive.

The ensemble cast delivers a grounded and respectful portrayal of the soldiers' sheer will to survive in impossible circumstances, as well as their unyielding brotherhood. While exposing their vulnerability as young men, they also display immense bravery in the face of non-stopping danger. By emphasizing their inexperience and rawness, the film adds a poignancy to its story.

The film unfolds in real time, using extended takes that heighten the tension without relying on excessive edits or shaky-cam gimmicks. The cinematography, led by David J. Thompson, captures the confined, claustrophobic nature of the SEALs' predicament, fully immersing the audience as if we are embedded with the platoon in battle. There are no dramatic music cues to signal an impending attack, no slow-motion shots of soldiers in anguish. Instead, the action unfolds with relentless, unfiltered realism, making it all the more heart-wrenching.

One of the film's most striking elements is Glenn Freemantle's sound design. The deafening gunfire and constant radio chatter heighten the sense of chaos, immersing the audience in the soldiers' confusion and desperation. Every heavy breath, anguished scream, and thundering explosion is rendered with unsettling realism, making the experience absolutely terrifying.

"Warfare" is not a movie about politics, nor is it a glorification of combat. It is a raw, unsentimental look at modern warfare through the eyes of those who have lived it. Garland and Mendoza's stark realism serves not just as a recounting of history but as a tribute to those who endured it. There are no rousing speeches, no neatly tied-up resolutions—only the inescapable reality of life-and-death decisions made in the heat of battle.

"Warfare" opens in theaters on Friday, April 11, 2025.