Civil War (2024): review

Civil War (2024) is a disturbing dystopian thriller from Alex Garland, whose earlier films include Ex Machina and Annihilation. It takes us into a fractured America consumed by civil war and makes that collapse painfully immediate.

A group of journalists travels through the country as conflict escalates between the federal government and the Western Forces, an alliance including Texas and California. Experienced war photographer Lee, played by Kirsten Dunst, and her colleague Joel, played by Wagner Moura, guide us through a nation breaking apart. Their work brings them into contact with violence, arbitrary power and people trying to survive within the chaos.

Garland is interested in more than physical destruction. The psychological toll on his characters gives the film its centre. Dunst and Moura, supported by Cailee Spaeny and Stephen McKinley Henderson, combine intensity with vulnerability. Their performances make the journey emotionally demanding rather than merely spectacular.

Rob Hardy's cinematography captures the oppressive atmosphere with striking clarity. The images pull us into the action while reinforcing the unease of the story. Production design and costume work make the ruined surroundings and fragmented society feel tangible rather than abstract.

Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow's music contributes strongly to the mood. It is restrained but insistent, adding tension and strengthening the emotional passages without needing to explain them.

What impressed me most was the combination of the film's vision of a possible American future and Dunst's outstanding performance. The contrast between visual beauty and the intensity of what happens makes it difficult to forget. It works as a warning, but also invites thought about the fragility of familiar social structures.

For me, Civil War is more than a dystopian thriller. It considers how quickly a society's foundations can erode when communication and understanding disappear. Garland's dark imagined future gives weight to the human connections that might otherwise be taken for granted.

The film will not suit everyone, and parts are very bleak. Yet its performances and direction make it a powerful experience. Dunst and Moura anchor a film that lingers and offers substantial questions alongside its immediate impact.