Warfare: Movie Review

Cast: D'Pharoah Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Joseph Quinn, Finn Bennett, Michael Gandolfini
Director: Ray Mendoza, Alex Garland

Less a movie, more a visceral experience that feels like a first-person shooter writ large, Alex Garland's latest foray into war film territory is an intense outing that never really has an emotional core.

It follows a group of Navy Seals on a mission through insurgent territory in Iraq in 2006. It begins with the group coming together in harmony and a burst of pent up bonding as they watch Eric Prydz's Call On Me workout video that released in 2004.

In this opening sequence alone, we learn all we need to about the group's dynamics, their closeness and their camaraderie. Moments later, they're picking their way through the darkened streets to break into a family's home to set up a perfect surveillance of a nearby market. 

As the monotony of the carrying out of the job plays out, it soon becomes clear something is about to go down - and that the Seals are the target as the locals unleash a Jihad on them.

Based on Mendoza's memories of what happened, it's no surprise the film is skewed as to what occurs within the troupe. The idea of being embedded with them and being in the thick of conflict is initially dizzying - but the strong reality of being caught as fire rained down on them is thrilling in parts, but sickening in others.

There's a very forensic feeling to the film, one that holds aloof viewers on an emotional level, but connects with them on a very physical level. It leaves Warfare feeling like the kind of film that's best as an experience in a cinema - particularly in terms of the soundscape which captures every cry of the injured, every atmospheric womp of the lack of sound after a major explosion and may even catch audiences off guard after lulling them into an unearned sense of security.

But Warfare is never as engaging as it feels - technically, it's more than adept. Yet as final footage shows the directors being trained by Mendoza on how to fight in a situation like this, it becomes clear how staged it all feels, and how a ruthless adherence to facts at the time don't necessarily translate to deeply engaging drama.

In a way, Warfare is an anti-war piece in the same way that Garland's Civil War was. In much the same way as the Paranormal Activity films force us to scan the screen looking for every single movement, Warfare does the same - its sense of stillness at times is compelling to say the least.

As an in-cinema outing, it's second to none - but as a film, it's somewhat of a Bore-fare than full-on warfare.