War Dogs (2016): review

War Dogs is Todd Phillips's 2016 black comedy inspired by the story of David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, two young men from Miami who entered the international arms business during the Iraq War era.

Miles Teller plays David, a massage therapist struggling financially. Reconnecting with his old school friend Efraim, played by Jonah Hill, leads him into a business supplying weapons through US government contracts. Their biggest opportunity is a $300 million deal to supply Afghan forces. As their success grows, so do the dangers and moral compromises.

The film makes the absurdity and ruthlessness of that business compelling to watch. Two inexperienced young men exploit gaps in a system and become players in a trade with lethal consequences. Their pursuit of money and power steadily exposes darker personal motives.

Hill is particularly impressive as the charismatic, manipulative Efraim. He combines charm with unpredictability, so that an amusing moment can become threatening very quickly. Teller gives David a convincing initial naïveté that shifts towards desperation and regret. The chemistry between them keeps the film lively and engaging.

Phillips, known for The Hangover, shows another side of his directing here. He balances dark comedy with criticism of the business the characters enter. The film moves between Miami's glamorous surroundings and threatening locations in Eastern Europe, making the contrast between their wealth and its source difficult to ignore.

The visual style supports that contrast. Sunlit beaches sit against bleak weapons depots, while energetic camerawork, slow motion and brisk editing maintain the pace. The surfaces of the characters' new lives never entirely conceal the ugliness underneath.

War Dogs manages to entertain while leaving room for uncomfortable reflection. Its story captures the absurdity of modern conflict and the moral traps of chasing quick success. Hill supplies one of its strongest performances, and the direction keeps the whole thing absorbing through to the end.