Warfare

If there is one theme which seems to run throughout the films of Alex Garland ("Men," "Civil War") it is that men are overly fixated on sex, they are dangerous, and can be extremely violent. This is my own interpretation of his work and if it's an accurate one, it's a thesis I agree with. This time ,Garland's lens gives us the violence men can inflict on each other in this snapshot of modern warfare. It's an honest and brutal depiction of U.S. soldiers in Iraq in 2006. Why they are there, what the purpose of their mission is - we have no idea. We are just plopped down with these men as they suddenly find themselves in serious danger. It's based on the memories of the real soldiers who were in this fight. It's immersive, traumatizing, and important. Do we need another reminder of the horrors of war? Yes we do because we can't seem to get it through our collective heads that war is horrible. There is nothing glorified here. Gripping, realistic and devastating. It's not an easy, relaxing film, but a tense and important one. There were moments in my screening where nobody dared to munch popcorn - you could hear a pin drop as we watched these men move through their paces. I'm sure this will land on my list of top films of 2025. Catch it in theatres now.