Remembrance of war past: A review of ‘Warfare’

“Warfare” is cinema vérité on the battlefield. Ultra-talented filmmaker Alex Garland partners up with Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza to co-create one of the most powerful depictions of modern day combat I’ve ever seen. Garland merges his artistic vision and auteur sensibilities with Mendoza’s military expertise and lived experiences.

A Navy SEAL team is conducting an operation inside enemy territory in Iraq. As things get heated in the area, they decide to take over a civilian house for shelter and cover (a standard operating procedure fighting in urban environments). The team clears and secures the home, and they set up defensive positions, awaiting orders. Outside, enemy insurgents take notice of this takeover, and start organizing their forces to attack.

Everyone — the soldiers, the jihadis, the noncombatants and of course, the movie audience — knows what’s coming.

Like all great war movies, the filmmakers don’t jump right into the action. There’s a brief, funny and also poignant cold open that Garland uses to set the interpersonal baseline among the soldiers. After that delightful start, “Warfare” begins its slow simmer.

Before a single shot is fired, we get to witness the amazing level of sheer competence of these Navy SEALs as they secure their base and monitor the surroundings for potential dangers. Each man has a role and carries his duties with professionalism. There are clear hierarchies, orders of operations, role redundancies, backup plans.

These opening scenes are vital in showing the incredible chemistry among the team members. This cohesiveness is a product of the brotherhood within the platoon, crafted by the hardships of training and previous combat.

Additionally, watching these men at work before and after the fighting starts is like viewing a masterclass in team dynamics. It is truly a pleasure to watch. Whatever you do for work or recreation, if you’re at a high level — write briefs, answer phones, install drywall, shoot hoops, write stories, assess risk or whatever else — game recognize game, right?

When the projectiles start flying, we see the fruits of the famously extreme Navy SEAL training. As one ancient war guru put it: “Every battle is won before it’s fought.”

The simmer eventually turns into a rolling boil, so let’s talk about the action.

The impact of “Warfare” starts and ends with its sound design. The pummeling on the ears is a gateway for us noncombatants to experience the immersion of an armed confrontation. This may be the next best thing to advanced virtual reality that hasn’t yet been invented. Acrid smoke burns your nose, dust clogs your lungs, heat slams your entire body. I fear for anyone with combat stress disorder watching this film.

It’s sensory overload: explosions everywhere, bullets whizzing past, terrifying screams of agony. And without spoiling anything, I want you to remember this term: “Show of force.” You will know what it means when it happens.

While the sound department performs fisticuffs on our ears, the motion photography and production design are perfectly realistic. Did I say rolling boil? Actually, it’s water-dropped-into-hot-oil levels of violent chaos.

This combination of sight and sound is as good as the finest war movies in recent years. Think “Saving Private Ryan,” “Black Hawk Down” and “1917.”

The dialogue comes across as highly realistic, with proper military jargon appropriate during various situations. According to the filmmakers, they meticulously wrote the script based on the actual conversations during the events.

“Warfare” is not war hawkaganda. There are no politics litigated here. This is not that type of war movie. The portrayal of Iraqis as enemies is treated with respect and — as explained by the filmmakers — is conducted realistically based on the recollections of people who were actually there.

“Warfare” works as a simple remembrance of a moment in time for a group of front-line soldiers. It’s a testament to all involved in the film to show how it’s possible to be pro-military without being pro-war. It never gets preachy, and there are no long speeches about the horrors of war.

Director Garland seems to have found another creative peak. He’s previously explored another journey into a heart of darkness in “Annihilation” with terrifying success. This theme was again explored in his 2024 release “Civil War,” an unflinching portrayal of what it would be like if there was a land war on American soil. It was during this movie he met his “Warfare” co-creator Mendoza, who was a consultant on the film.

I went into this film knowing exactly what I was getting, however, somehow the movie exceeded all my expectations.