WARFARE: TRAILER 1

There’s nothing glamorous about war. Hollywood filmmakers have tried time and time again to portray the atrocities of the Iraq War on film, but every time it always falls short. Now, real Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza has teamed up with director Alex Garland to give it a shot. This is the gripping 1^st trailer for Warfare.

It’s 2006, in the middle of the Iraq War. A group of soldiers (Will Poulter, Kit Conner, Noah Centineo, Michael Gandolfini, Henry Zaga, and others) shelter in the home of an Iraqi family. From the POV of soldier Ray Mendoza (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), the soldiers suddenly notice enemy combatants advancing on their position.

In gripping real-time, this band of brothers must make the dangerous trek across an Iraqi town filled with nothing but enemies who want to kill them. They don’t know what’s behind any corner, and they’ve got an injured brother they vow to get back home. Told from the stories of the real Ray Mendoza, this is the story of war. It’s not glamorous, it’s not cool, and it’s definitely not Hollywood.

We’ve all heard the joke “America will bomb your country, then make a movie about how sad they were about it,” and it rings true: America’s jingoistic national pride bleeds into almost every war adaptation, whether we like it or not. But there’s no mistaking it: war is hell, and the 1^st trailer for Warfare…. it almost gets there.

The performances in the trailer are largely one-note besides a fantastic Will Poulter, effortlessly capturing a man broken by violence, but each actor at least sheds their Hollywood sheen for a rugged and frayed depiction of an American soldier. I never found myself taken out of the trailer due to the actors feeling overdramatic.

The trailer’s pacing, however, lets it down. While the concept of a real-time movie directed by a real-life vet is intriguing, the trailer often falls into the American trap of making the Iraqis faceless enemies. Director Alex Garland is renowned for his condemnations of American bigotry, and often portrays society with a level of nuance unseen in mainstream Hollywood. Therefore, my guess is that this trailer found itself constricted by having to sell an “anti-war” war movie in under 2 minutes.

Thus, the film’s real test begins: if Warfare can capture those looking for a rah-rah brutal action film, and also those disillusioned with America’s overseas war efforts, it could be a surefire hit for A24. But, given the country’s track record, the film feels more likely to be swallowed up by a culture war looking to condemn it from either end like Garland’s previous Civil War.

Directed by Alex Garland & Ray Mendoza, Warfare will release theatrically in the US in early 2025. The movie stars an ensemble cast led by D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and Will Poulter.