Warfare – Review

Cert -15, Run-time – 1 hour 36 minutes, Directors – Alex Garland, Ray Mendoza

Having made a temporary base in a civilian house, a group of US Navy SEALs find their chances of making it out alive limited after an IED explosion causes chaos and injury amongst the group.

Warfare has sparked discussion about whether a war film can be truly neutral. With his previous film, last year’s Civil War, writer-director Alex Garland – here teaming up on both duties with veteran Ray Mendoza – tried to make a film that was apolitical and, depending on who your ask, generally achieved it. With Warfare the film may not be directly choosing a side, but then again it’s only showing the perspective of a group of US Navy SEALs in 2006 Iraq.

Having made a temporary base in a civilian home we see the troop in real time observing the buildings around them for suspicious activity, a sniper (Cosmo Jarvis) waiting to strike any target that could be a threat. However, once a rogue grenade makes its way into the building chaos erupts, made worse by a fatal IED explosion. The group’s chances of making it out alive grow increasingly limited, with much of the action confined to the one home and the growing screams, blood spills and panic. The families who own the apartments seem something of an afterthought, barely seen once pushed into the corner of a bedroom while the soldiers take over the home for their own surveillance needs. Perhaps this stems from the fact that these people weren’t the focus for the soldiers themselves. Based on real memories from those involved the film states at the end of the credits that events have been attempted to be replicated as accurately as possible.

It takes about 30-40 minutes for things to properly kick off. With much of the build-up less bringing us into the personalities of the group, the main character who seems to get something of a bigger push is Jarvis’ sniper simply from how much concentration we see him putting into his aim and scanning of the outside area through a small gap in the wall. Instead, we see the various details and elements of preparation the group (which also features the likes of Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn and Michael Gandolfini) are putting in to their work. It doesn’t form an entire connection with them which means that the key events in the second half may not have the emotional hit they could do after having spent this deal of time with them.

There’s still a sense of tension, already established in the quieter moments of focus, and the sound design helps to elevate the film, especially when multiple forces are cranked up loud. When shifting between perspectives and going from ringing ears and muffled noise to shattering screams there’s a slight jump in response, especially as often the camera cuts to some effective bloody detail at the same moment.

There have been criticisms of Warfare for lacking context. While I believe that what it provides is enough for what it shows and does, what I think it needs is more commentary. More to say about what’s happening, or at least more from the characters. While this may deviate from the realism on display, there’s no soundtrack or score throughout to keep this in place, the events as they’re depicted have some effect, but to some extent feel like the neutrality means that things have been held back somewhat in terms of the overall drama.

Warfare still has a punch in its style and details, even if sometimes it also feels held back by developments having to be waited for in real time due to the events unfolding outside the house – again, out of the memory of those involved because of where they were at the time. Particularly Mendoza, played here by D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai; getting more focus as events unfold with the camera cutting to him more often overtime. But, for the most part, there’s still a successful film within Warfare. One that creates interest in what’s happening and the uncertain fight for survival in the confined area which appears to be surrounded by opposing forces. What we get is good, but it does feel as if the key details of Warfare’s stances also hold it back.

While the look and sound of warfare has a good effect, its real time basis sometimes holds it back as you, like the soldiers, sit waiting for the next development in a film that sometimes feels as if it needs more commentary, even amongst the based-on-memory events.