There is no doubt that CIVIL WAR is a disturbing film. It depicts our country revolting and coming apart at every border or city with extreme violence. It is bloody and filled with enough gore for a lifetime. It has frightening moments that make me wonder if this is where our society is headed due to our angry, divisive rhetoric. If the movie intends to get my attention, it did.
It was definitely โus vs. themโ at every turn. No one was safe. The movie highlighted the journey of photojournalists and war photographers tasked with protecting historical moments through the lens of their cameras. They had no weapons, yet these brave souls tried to get what was going down preserved for future generations. There was no pause button to give any of them time to process bullets and bombs flying in all directions.
Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moira, Cailee Spaeny, and Stephen McKinley Henderson created realistic, raw, and memorable characters. They gave audiences the whispers of what it must be like to race through scrimmages and battles. They showed the seconds of being frozen in fear through amazing physicality and silent breaths. It was palatable while watching.
The problem with CIVIL WAR was the many holes left in the script and plot. As a viewer, I needed to know the backstories. I had no empathy for either side. I did not know which group was the โrightโ one. Maybe this was the point, but it was unnerving to watch our America be destroyed as to what end.
HOW I SEE IT
This is a heads-up for anyone who is visually impaired and wants to see this film. Quite simply, you wonโt. The rush of the melees was fast and furious. The bloody brains of soldiers and civilians were never-ending. The shooting goes from one mill-second to the next, so it is difficult to know where to focus. Thank goodness for English AD settings. Be sure to turn it on before starting.
CIVIL WAR is a bleak dystopian future. Letโs hope the United States never gets to this point of no return.
It is streaming on Max.ย
