I initially missed Civil War when it was in theaters, and truthfully, I wasn't sure if I even wanted to watch it. The United States has been in tense political times for years now, and I see so much of it daily that I wasn't sure if I was ready for Alex Garland's movie. That changed when I had a free afternoon, and after watching it with my Max subscription, I have to disagree with one of the major complaints I've seen from those who didn't like it.
CinemaBlend's Sarah El-Mahmoud called Civil War one of her favorite movies of 2024, and I have to agree with both her and our own Mike Reyes, who gave it a perfect score in his Civil War review. Despite that, I've read more than a few reviews online that are upset that the details of the conflict that divided the country don't get fleshed out. Some people want the gritty details for various reasons, and I'm here to say the movie is stronger and timeless because it doesn't focus on that.
If You're Worried About The Details Behind The Conflict, You're Missing The Point
If you're going into Civil War hoping for a wild story about why the nation is divided and the President of the United States hasn't given an interview in 14 months, you'll be disappointed. This isn't a movie that is meant to tell a fictionalized story of where the American Dream went wrong, but rather a portrait of what it could look like if it did. There are different regions taking different forms of currency, firefights amidst apartment buildings, and Charlottesville is aflame with explosions and gunfire.
It feels real, and jarringly so. Sure, we've all seen war zones growing up on the news, but seeing military vehicles and armed individuals near what looks like a local gas station a few blocks from my house is something else. It's a reality others worldwide deal with in their everyday lives and should be a real wake-up call to the person at home.
The story of how the United States collapsed isn't more complex than saying that the nation was divided. I watched Civil War, and my main takeaway is that it's a future that feels real enough to make me concerned about the reality of that happening. Ultimately, I would sooner appreciate this movie serving as a warning of what we could become rather than be a piece of propaganda for any party line to use as fuel to cause further division amongst people.
Staying Apolitical Keeps The Movie Accessible For Anyone To Watch
Movies that are open to a wide variety of audiences are always going to be attractive to studios, especially if they are hoping for a solid box office showing. While Civil War did ultimately become the second-highest-grossing movie A24 has made and gave the company a box office record, I think the movie remaining apolitical in the storytelling ensures that people from both sides of the political spectrum will check it out, even if they don't fully agree on whether or not it's truly free of preaching.
As CinemaBlend's Sean O'Connell said back when it came out, the movie pulls this off by framing the story through the eyes of war photographers. Kirsten Dunst gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Lee Smith, who has seen and photographed some of the most horrific moments the world has seen. She's haunted by these images, but feels a sense of duty to ensure the world sees them and feels moved enough to act to ensure these things don't happen more.
Do the war journalists care about the conflict? I think it's clear throughout Civil War that they have their own personal thoughts and feelings about what it going on, but they're there to do a job. Keeping their ties to it all is vital to get the job done and occasionally even vital to survival. Keeping composed, as we see in the movie at one point, is pivotal to having the best chance to escape the danger, and it still might not be enough at some point. It's fair to assume each character has their own thoughts on the conflict, but it's understandable why they shelf it when they're working.
With Election News Ramping Up In Coming Weeks, This Is Worth A Watch
We're in the home stretch of an election year that will determine the next President of the United States of America, and truthfully, I don't think there's a better time to watch this movie. It's not just because I think it will influence which way someone will vote in the election, but because, as I've said at length already, it's nearly impossible to distinguish who the good and bad guys are in this conflict.
At the end of the day, we live in very tense political times that only seem to intensify by the day. I'd much rather spend my days talking about upcoming films in 2024 and finding common ground with people around me on the things we can all agree on. Civil War serves as a warning to the reality we could be headed toward if we stay the course and continue to grow further and further apart from the people we think differently from. It's a scary reality that I don't think anyone wants to be a part of, or at least I hope that's the case.
Aside from the message, Civil War is a damn good film that ranks among some of the various incredible movies that Alex Garland has done over the years. This is a movie that we'll look back on with a greater appreciation than what it's generally received from critics and audiences now, outside of those with a key complaint about it. I just hope decades from now, we're not talking about how poignant and reflective of our times it was, rather than how it predicted the future.
As mentioned, anyone who wants to watch Civil War can stream it right now on Max. I can understand if some readers who haven't watched are still skeptical of watching even after reading this, but I think if they give it a chance, they won't be disappointed.
