With only a few more editions left for me as a part of this publication, time was running out. I wanted to see a movie in theaters this year that I’d rate five stars. “The Monkey” was ridiculous, “Opus” was a letdown and “Last Breath” was just okay. But the time has finally come — thanks to Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland’s “Warfare.”
Although distributed by my beloved A24, its Friday release was quiet. I didn’t know much going in — not the plot, not the cast, not even a full trailer I could recall. But as someone who comes from a family of veterans, “Navy SEALs” was all I had to hear.
Its logline is simple: “A platoon of Navy SEALs embark on a dangerous mission in Ramadi, Iraq, with the chaos and brotherhood of war retold through their memories of the event,” but the experience is anything but.
We watch the mission unfold in real time — an hour and 35 minutes with a group of men we barely know. We’re never told where they’re from, how old they are or if they have families.
Usually, I’d call that a flaw. But “Warfare” is so deeply immersive and the performances are so powerful that I didn’t even mind. We care about these men anyway, because of what they give up for one another and how committed they are to surviving together.
The cast is stacked: Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn, Kit Connor, Cosmo Jarvis and Charles Melton, to name a few. Every performance was raw and relentless. D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai remarkably stood out. Still, this is the year of Poulter. You heard it here first.
The cinematography, by David J. Thompson of “Divergent” and “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1,” is enveloping. Some shots took my breath away. My favorite was either Poulter sitting in agony off to the left or the wide frame of the SEAL team standing as brothers before everything changes.
What makes “Warfare” so special, too, is that alongside “Civil War” director Garland stood Mendoza, an Iraq War veteran. He brought this story to life with care and precision. From the way Connor walks to the thread following the Iraqi family, Mendoza’s directorial choices were next level.
The movie is actually a retelling of Mendoza’s own time in Iraq, recreated to help his fellow SEAL, Elliot, remember exactly what happened. Elliot was even on set, working with the actors to get it right.
But my favorite element? The sound design. I won’t spoil anything, but hearing it in theaters was unreal — it fueled anxiety, built unbearable tension and dropped us straight into that house in Iraq.
Critics are tearing the movie apart for so-called “propaganda tactics,” especially in light of political disagreements about the Iraq War. But that shouldn’t take away from the undeniably captivating performances, cinematography and sound.
I also felt that the film made a real effort to show both sides. It was raw, it was real and it was an extraordinary watch — so much so that I fear this review doesn’t even do it justice.
Given the mixed reviews and lack of marketing, I sadly think “Warfare” will go down as one of the most underrated films of the year. But trust me: you have to see this. If not for me, then for our SEALs.
5/5 stars
ajones11@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @warfaremovie, X
