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Lead Critic for the site, as well as serving as an editor when needed.
Does a film do its job if it provides no context to life’s meaning? What is the cost of life on this planet, and will we do what it takes to survive together? This is perhaps the only takeaway from Warfare—a jarring sound induction of life’s most horrific and dangerous parts of living.
Warfare is co-written and co-directed by Civil War filmmaker Alex Garland (28 Days Later, Annihilation, Men) and former U.S. Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza. Warfare is is a meticulously reconstructed raw depiction of a random event during the late stages of the Battle of Ramadi during the Iraq War. Mendoza was a part of a platoon of SEALs providing overwatch for other operations in the area, whereupon they come into contact with enemy forces on November 19, 2006. The film depicts their fight and survival in real time.
Get Out, Together
Warfare opens with the platoon watching the music video for Eric Prydz’s “Call on Me” as they begin swaying back and forth with the camera. It’s perhaps the only moment in which the actors feel like they’re just “playing soldier.” Proceeding the film’s title card, the platoon is dropped into a village at night where they overtake a house in what should have been a routine mission. The next morning is the final moment of calm experienced by the platoon.
Warfare is truly situated around three of the platoon members—Mendoza himself (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai); Corpsman/ lead sniper, Elliot Miller (Cosmo Jarvis); and leading Petty Officer, Sam (Joseph Quinn), based on Joe Hildebrand. When the area begins to grow in enemy presence, the film’s tension grows alongside perfectly. As a grenade is carelessly lobbed through Elliot’s sniper hole, their fight begins.
During the initial evacuation of Elliot, an improvised explosive device is detonated, also injuring Sam. The moments that follow are almost like something out of a great horror film. Sound editors Ben Barker, Glenn Freemantle, Danny Freemantle, Nick Freemantle, Dayo James, and Robert Malone’s sound design is a force all its own. The screaming and crying out of Sam, and eventually Elliot, haunt the film. The chaos does enough to Officer in Charge Erik (Will Poulter) to rattle him, that once Assistant OIC Jake (Charles Melton) arrives he needs him to take over.
Secondary Cast Members in Warfare
Warfare is a kinetic display of survival and brotherhood. There were no acts of politicization. The film makes it clear that the only task these men were to complete: survive.
The remaining platoon members—Tommy (Kit Connor), John (Finn Bennett), Frank (Taylor John Smith), LT McDonald (Michael Gandolfini), Sgt. Laerrus (Adain Bradley), Brian/Zawi (Noah Centineo), Brock (Evan Holtzman), Aaron (Henry Zaga), and Mikey (Alex Brockdorff)—are kinetic, too. The cast members portray these “characters” almost too well.
Particularly, Connor’s face as the fear of the chaos feels as if it’s closing in on him. He’s reminded he isn’t alone when someone asks a question to keep him alert. Juxtaposed with him is Melton, who is seemingly effortlessly cool on screen. The men in the platoon are commanded with the proper force and care, making sure they all get out, together.
Technical Elements
Warfare boasts impressive technical abilities from the actors. Even with a short three-to-four-week training period, they embody their roles as SEALs quite well. Production designer Mark Digby’s set pieces are a key highlight, as most of the neighborhood in which the battle took place was rebuilt for the film. Costume designers David Crossman and Neil Murphy’s outfitting can feel pretty standard for a war film. It rounds the actors out nicely for the specific time period and place in which the battle took place.
Cinematographer David J. Thompson blends in well with the on-screen chaos. Mendoza and Garland’s direction is simpatico, and the sound design could perhaps be the most compelling of the year. Walking out of the theatre with ringing ears was somehow unexpected.
Final Thoughts on Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland’s Warfare
Mendoza and Garland’s Warfare is one of the best sounding films of the year. The terror inducing sound design alone makes it worthy to see in a theatre. The film doesn’t seek to ask any questions simply because there are no answers. If audiences take nothing else from this film, maybe many people who didn’t understand what it was like before will finally begin to do so. It is one of the most raw war films of the last decade and perhaps most thankfully, isn’t a Michael Bay CGI fest.
4.5/5 stars
Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland’s Warfare is now playing in theatres!
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Lead Critic for the site, as well as serving as an editor when needed.
