Civil War
Overview
Civil War is a 2024 dystopian war film written and directed by Alex Garland. The film is set in a near-future United States, which is engulfed in a second civil war. The film follows a group of journalists who travel from New York City to Washington, D.C., to interview the president before the capital falls to rebel forces. The journalists are: Lee (Kirsten Dunst), a renowned war photographer who is haunted by her work; Joel (Wagner Moura), a journalist who is Lee's close friend; Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), a young, ambitious photographer who idolizes Lee; and Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), an older journalist. The film is a road movie, following the journalists as they drive through a war-torn America. They encounter violence, chaos, and moral ambiguity. The film is a meditation on journalism, the ethics of witnessing, and the nature of war. It is a tense, suspenseful, and thought-provoking film. The film ends with the journalists reaching the White House, where they witness the president being killed. Lee is killed while taking a photograph. Civil War was a critical and commercial success, earning over $130 million on a $50 million budget. The film was praised for its performances, its direction, and its provocative themes.
