Warfare ★★★★★

Released: 18 April 2025

Director: Ray Mendoza/Alex Garland

Starring: Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn, Kit Connor, Cosmo Jarvis

Growing up on Call of Duty, Halo, and Resident Evil, I lived for those blood-pumping, high-stakes encounters where every bullet and decision mattered. But while games simulate the intensity, they can never fully capture the real-world stakes, the human cost. That’s where Warfare comes in.

Directed by Alex Garland and co-written with former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza, Warfare takes us deep into the chaos of modern combat. Set in 2006 during a surveillance mission in Ramadi, Iraq, the film follows 13 Navy SEALs who find themselves trapped behind enemy lines after their position is compromised. Cut off and outnumbered, their mission quickly shifts from reconnaissance to survival.

From the first frame, Warfare doesn’t hold back. There’s no rousing score, no sweeping camera movements—just the cold, brutal reality of war. The sound design alone is masterful. Every gunshot, every explosion, every moment of silence carries weight. It is immersive in a way that few war films have ever achieved, pulling you directly into the firefight alongside these soldiers.

It’s impossible to talk about Warfare without mentioning Saving Private Ryan. Spielberg’s film redefined the war genre with its unflinching realism, and Warfare follows in its footsteps while carving out its own identity. The battle sequences feel just as visceral, just as gut-wrenching. The difference here lies in its modern setting—urban warfare, close-quarters combat, and the ever-present tension of being watched, hunted. The result is a film that feels right up there, with the very best true-story war movies.

The cast is exceptional. Will Poulter delivers a powerhouse performance, balancing command with an underlying fear that he fights to suppress. Joseph Quinn is absolutely gripping, portraying a soldier on the edge, his desperation bleeding through every word and action. And the British actors—Poulter, Quinn, and a standout performance from Kit Connor—are nothing short of phenomenal. Their performances are so deeply committed, so brutally real, that you forget they’re acting.

Alex Garland, known for cerebral sci-fi like Ex Machina and Annihilation, proves he can handle large-scale, grounded storytelling just as effectively. Mendoza’s first-hand experience as a Navy SEAL ensures that every moment, tactical movement and choice feels authentic. This isn’t a Hollywood war film with polished heroics—it’s the raw, brutal truth of combat, and that’s what makes it so impactful.

And then there’s the action. Every firefight is executed with precision, chaotic but never confusing, terrifying yet impossible to look away from. It’s been a long time since a war film felt this intense, this emotionally devastating.

By the end of Warfare, you are left exhausted, shaken, and in awe. This isn’t just a great war film—it’s one of the best of the year, maybe even the decade. Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza here have crafted something extraordinary, a film that doesn’t just depict war, but puts you right in the middle of it.