Civil War

"Welcome to the frontline."

2024 1h 49m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 4,635

WarActionDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In the near future, a group of war journalists attempt to survive while reporting the truth as the United States stands on the brink of civil war.

“Welcome to the frontline.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Kirsten Dunst
Lee
Wagner Moura
Joel
Cailee Spaeny
Jessie
Stephen McKinley Henderson
Sammy
Nelson Lee
Tony
Nick Offerman
President
Jefferson White
Dave
Evan Lai
Bohai

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Alex Garland
Writers: Jim Magdaleno, Alex Garland
Languages: English
Countries: Finland, United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $50M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 2 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: Finland, United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CAST

Did you know

473+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Alex Garland, shot by Rob Hardy. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Geoff Barrow. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jake Roberts shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kirsten Dunst and Wagner Moura and Cailee Spaeny carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Alex Garland directs. Rob Hardy behind the camera. Geoff Barrow scores. Jake Roberts cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in Finland, United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Mid-budget at $50M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
2Released 2 years ago.
3International production across 3 countries: Finland, United Kingdom, United States of America.
4473+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
5Directed by Alex Garland, shot by Rob Hardy. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Geoff Barrow. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Jake Roberts shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Kirsten Dunst and Wagner Moura and Cailee Spaeny carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Welcome to the frontline.".
10IMDB entry: tt17279496 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 28 themes, including "sniper", "new york city", "race against time", "usa president".
12Released under 17 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Rob Hardy
Original score: Geoff Barrow
Editing: Jake Roberts
Production design: Caty Maxey
Costume design: Meghan Kasperlik
Makeup / hair: Crystal Broedel
VFX supervisor: David Simpson
Sound: Glenn Freemantle
Stunt coordinator: Jeff Dashnaw
Runtime: 109 min · 1h 49m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $50,000,000
Box office: $126,542,249
Return: 253% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Civil War (2024)

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Alex Garland

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What people are saying

Manuel São Bento2024-04-11
★ 8/10
FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://talkingfilms.net/civil-war-review-a-thought-provoking-dive-into-war-journalism-and-moral-complexity/ "Civil War attests to Alex Garland’s fascinating ability to create impactful narratives that provoke deep discussions, beyond his unwavering commitment to the themes and characters at hand, without falling into preachy stances. A film that transcends political boundaries, focusing on war journalism, the moral dilemmas faced by those who risk their lives to tell stories that cannot be ignored, and the personal transformation necessary to carry out such an inhuman task. The character complexity and the chilling intensity of the cinematography and sound production contribute to a powerfully engaging, repeatedly shocking audiovisual experience. It’s a tribute to a profession often forgotten, but equally a challenge for viewers to reflect on critical issues in contemporary society." Rating: A-
r96sk2024-04-12
★ 9/10
Terrific movie! <em>'Civil War'</em> is a blast from beginning to end, I enjoyed everything about it to be honest. It features an interesting story that is told with excellence. My biggest takeaway is the sound design, which is outstanding; literally from the first seconds post-BBFC black card. It is paced absolutely spot on, the end comes around so quick; probably because I was hooked. The cast do great jobs. Obvious credit to Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura and Stephen McKinley Henderson, they are all ace. Cailee Spaeny is my personal standout though, what an excellent showing from her! Engrossing viewing. Highly recommended. Very much want to rewatch it already.
CinemaSerf2024-04-13
★ 6/10
Nope, sorry, this just didn't work for me. It appears that there is a civil war amongst these United States. California and Texas have seceded from the Union and Florida seems to be having a wobble too. The President (Nick Offerman) makes a speech assuring the rest of his country that they've nothing to worry about, but hardened photo-journalist "Lee" (Kirsten Dunst) and her cohort "Joel" (Wagner Moura) reckon that the conflict is quite likely to come to an altogether different conclusion. They bravely decide to travel the 800-odd miles to Washington DC to try and interview him. Their out-of-shape veteran associate "Sammy" (Stephen McKinley Henderson) thinks they are mad, but also wants in on the trip. Meantime, the enthusiastic young photographer "Jessie" (Cailee Spaeny) has managed to hook up with the team and so, rather implausibly, they agree to take her on this perilous journey. It's that implausibility that carries the whole thing as the completely preposterous scenario unfolds before us. No effort is made to fill us in on the cause of this warfare. Did the President seize power? Was he elected from a party these states didn't vote for? Are they just brutal and well armed revolutionaries? Then we have the ridiculous dialogue - usually from Henderson with his "always take fuel when you can" or "this way only leads to death" type profundities as the group travel through a remarkably stable, well fuelled and provisioned, nation where there's hardly the merest hint of mass migrations, fear or terror. Indeed, their blue "Press" helmets and a little bit of kevlar seem to render them immune to the deadly drama that they are supposed to be experiencing. Jesse Plemons makes a brief appearance - that actually leads to the only vaguely exciting part of this chronology, but otherwise it's all a bit on a non-event. Dunst starts off as a strong and characterful woman but that dwindles away and, well, I was just a bit bored as the denouement hoved into view with all the predicability of the sun coming up. It's bitty, episodic, unrealistic and populated with characters in whom I simply could not believe. Sure, maybe it's supposed to be outlandishly apocalyptic, but it reminded me for the most part of an episode of "Falling Skies" - only without the aliens. Perhaps it might resonate better with an American audience? I'm not one of them and this didn't.