Warfare is an extraordinary film that presents the horror of the battle of Ramadi in an unforgettable experience on par with how Full Metal Jacket exposed Vietnam and Band of Brothers portrayed the realism of World War II. This is an eye-opening portrayal into the lives of Navy SEAL Team 3/Task Force Bruiser whose surveillance mission goes wrong in insurgent territory. Unfolding in real time, Warfare pulls you into the claustrophobia and terror of modern day combat and leaves you with ragged breathing and scars on your soul.

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Written and directed by Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza, Warfare is based on Mendoza’s service with SEAL Team 3 and his been-there-and-survived experience in Iraq. Staged like a docudrama, Warfare is unlike any of Garland’s other movies. Garland tends to feature female protagonists, and oftentimes uses the near future as both a setting and to emphasize metaphor. Warfare is set in the near past, and features an all-male lead. There is no score. No slick editing with enhanced digital f/x. No montages nor use of flashbacks. 

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Warfare opens in medias res with the team bouncing in anticipation as Garland keeps the camera moving between the soldiers. And once those men express doubt as the attacks start, and seemingly never cease, Garland’s impartial camera never questions their abilities, their mission, or the rightness of their cause.

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In striving for a sense of realism, Garland and Mendoza envelop that “hurry up and wait” aspect with a dry sense of anticipation. The slowness of the continual wait is countered with an ear-splitting explosion of action that thrums and wails along with cries of pain. Bravado turns to fear as Cosmo Jarvis’ Elliott, for whom the movie is dedicated, is badly wounded while Erik’s (Will Poulter) command evaporates. There are no jokes or puns. No witty remarks while cooly fighting under fire. Garland and Mendoza fully explore the humanity of these individuals while bearing enormous pressure.

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As personalities of the team slowly begin to unfold, recognition sets in. Warfare is benefited by that time-honored Hollywood tradition of a glowing ensemble cast filled with “nobodys” all ready to become “somebodys”. Similar to the aforementioned Full Metal Jacket, as well as the 80s action movie Red Dawn among others, Warfare boasts impressive young talent, many of whom already have a quickly-accelerating trajectory. D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dogs) portrays Mendoza himself. Poulter (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Evan Holtzman (Hit Man) and Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark) possess motion picture acclaim while Jarvis (Shogun), Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) and Finn Bennett (True Detective) all have featured roles in serialized television. While they may be recognizable, none of them are above-the-title names. This is an ensemble cast in a movie about brotherhood where the team is the true star.

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Garland expertly pays with emotions. Bravado falls into dread; calmness gives way to adrenaline. Up until the end, Garland ensures that the viewer’s eyes never blink and that anxiety creeps ever forward to the edge of the seat. Whereas an antiwar political statement can easily be seen, Garland keeps the honor of telling the tale the unfeigned impetus. Here, heroics can be as tight as a tourniquet or as assuring as a hand on your shoulder. 

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Warfare’s straightforward themes are humanistic and emphatic that provide a subtle balance to the technicality achieved. Alex Garland has again proven that he is a master of this cinematic game. Similar to recently seen on Civil War and earlier with Ex Machina, Warfare is a movie that is destined to lead many “Best of” lists. Once the dust has settled.