Rating: Full

Genre: Thriller, Drama, Suspense, Adventure

Studios: A24/DNA Films

Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya MizUno and Nick Offerman

Director: Alex Garlend

Writer: Alex Garlend

Producers: Gregory Goodman, Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich

Music by: Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury

Rated: R for strong violent content, bloody/disturbing images and language throughout

Release Date: 04/12/24

Runtime: 1h 49m

Tagline: Welcome to the Frontline

Favorite Character: Jessie Cullen

Quote: “Okey. What kind of American are you? You don’t know?’-A soldier

Fun Fact: The decorations at the abandoned Christmas park wasn’t made for the movie. It was the real place that Alex Garlend used for one of the scenes.

The Review: A24 films just keeps getting on bigger. And just to be clear, no this isn’t a sequel to the 2017’s Captain America threequel, this isn’t even in the MCU. This is a potential ultra political reality film that tries to warn us about what may happen if America doesn’t shape up (I’m looking at you Biden).

The OG Spider-Man trilogy’s Kirsten Dunst makes a big comeback to the movies as a photographer, Lee Smith taking old fashioned black and white pictures of the unfortunate moments of the unlucky soldiers. She and her photography colleague Jessie (Cailee Spaeny) first witnessed a bombing in New York City that could slam the sound catagory for next year’s Oscars. They and the other press journalists (Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno and Jefferson White) are on the assignment to take a field trip to Washington D.C. to interview President Nick Offerman. Considering with what’s been going on in that country, He may be a worse president than Biden.

But as you may know, this road trip was no vacation! This plays out as a apocalyptic version of the Oregon Trail computer game. I am not gonna say much, and it may not be from Dysentery but expect some of the ‘you died’ moments during the journey. Yep, some or most of the reporters taking on a very dangerous adventure may not return to New York, if they do at all.

Like the Oregon Trail game, there are pit stops along the way. It’s not to trade or to look at the Big Blue River, or whatsoever, instead what you’ll see are dead bodies all over the path. Chilling. Even the Christmas Theme Park during the film isn’t all full of happiness as it should be!

I do have to say, Civil War is full of crazy stuff like the potentially real life violence and contains an IMAX worthy sounds. And I will certainly say there are gonna be some moments where you are gonna wish you could pause a movie to take a few moments to catch your breath! Maybe get a drink of water or an ICEE or some Coca Cola or whatever drink you have in your seat.

I have heard people complaining about the ending before seeing this movie. I thought, ‘What sort of ending does it piss moviegoers off?’ Now, I do admit, the ending seems to have me have mixed feelings for it. Like the ‘All of that for nothing’ kinda feeling. I really do understand, however, that this ending wasn’t exactly the point of the movie, so I’ll let that pass.

As the title states, Civil War didn’t pass Ex Machina as Garlend’s best. And it wasn’t a 100% accurate film, I mean come on, California and Texas alliance wasn’t that realistic. However, it is a really intense film full of chaos that could top 2024’s most intense film! Sounds like a challenge for the other thrillers coming out later this year!