Alex Garland directs Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura and Cailee Spaeney in this dystopian thriller following a jeep full of journalists through the battle zones of a modern alt USofA at war with itself.

Wow! We are seeing. We are seeing violence. We are seeing what is happening in a world where truth is no longer trusted. We are seeing a “what if” America unimaginable 15 years ago yet now seems a little too on-the-nose. We are seeing what other parts of the world suffer in a landscape and population familiar. We are seeing the people who feel they need to put themselves right into that violence to protect the truth. We are seeing the effect being within that violence has on them. We are seeing their doubts that capturing that violence as an indelible image does anything but perpetuate it. The rookie photographer’s photos are in that old fashioned, peak visual integrity, black and white. Her monochrome freeze frames of the chaos all uniformly have another of our journalists within them. Her story is Garland’s story. Why choose to be in the war zone if nobody cares for perspective anymore?

Civil War is a deep, complicated film with no straight answers. It is also… more notably… an A-Grade exploitation thrill ride. A parallel universe sci-fi a la The Purge or Punishment Park but with prestige trappings and broadsheet prescience. A war movie that takes modern warfare and rebottles the gore, tactics and tragedy into a country that felt untouchable until the time of Trump and Antifa. Apocalypse Now for the new generation. We are on a road trip of burnt out malls, snipers on the Dairy Queen and gunships through the capitol. Given the mid-range budget this out marvels the modern CGI fest with its clarity and intent. Anything can happen. Exciting, isn’t it? The closest release it feels akin to in terms of achievement is Edwards’ The Creator.

So many meaty quality elements. The discordant jukebox soundtrack featuring choice deep cuts from Silver Apples, De La Soul and Suicide. The clean look of it. No obvious FX joins. The aftermath strewn with graffiti and paintball wound spatters of bright colour. Dunst adding class and her top game. Part Lee Miller, part Margo Channing. Her hubby’s already iconic creepy as fuck one scene, one man death squad cameo. The fact that Garland’s last ever directorial effort (really?!) immerses you in an experience that is totally overwhelming, literate and inspiring. The multiplex doesn’t get much better than this!

10

Perfect Double Bill: Monsters (2010)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/