Warfare – A Harrowing Glimpse Into the Reality of Combat

By: Akilah Green

Within a week, a squad of American Navy SEALs must survive their mission deep in insurgent territory- and a single mistake could mean the difference between life and death. 

Their objective: to oversee the movement of U.S. forces from within the home of an Iraqi family, an assignment that grows increasingly volatile by the hour. But war is never as simple as the orders given, and soon, the lines between enemy and ally blur.

A24’s “Warfare”, written and directed by Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza, plunges audiences into the relentless tension of modern combat. Starring D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Cosmo Jarvis, and Joseph Quinn, the film unfolds in real-time, its authenticity drawn from the lived experiences of those who fought. Mendoza, working alongside co-writer Alex Garland (Civil War, 28 Days Later), crafts a boots-on-the-ground thriller that strips away the Hollywood sheen, leaving nothing but raw, unfiltered reality through the screen.

Warfare isn’t just another war movie—it’s an immersive, claustrophobic experience. There are no grand speeches or sweeping orchestral scores swelling in the background. Instead, it’s a visceral, nerve-shredding descent into the psychological and physical toll of combat. The film mirrors the unpredictability of war itself: one second, there’s silence; the next, a door bursts open, and chaos reigns.

Yet Warfare doesn’t just explore combat. It draws a sharp parallel to the hyper-awareness and survival instincts required in marginalized communities, particularly Black America. Mendoza’s script highlights a chilling reality: the feeling of never being safe, always being watched, and knowing that danger can strike at any moment. War may take place on foreign soil, but the anxiety it breeds is a universal experience.

Perhaps the film’s most striking moment comes in its opening scene. The camera lingers on a group of soldiers, laughing and sweating as they watched an old workout tape. It’s absurd, a brief return to innocence. But it’s also a reminder—before they were warriors, they were just people. In war, those small, human moments matter more than ever when you’re trying to remember what home felt like before everything changed. Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland have created something truly special with Warfare—a war film that doesn’t just depict combat but makes you feel it, question it, and carry its weight long after the screen fades to black. 

The soldiers’ lives are reduced to survival, their world shrinking to the dimly lit rooms they occupy, the sights of their weapons always scanning for a threat. Sleep-deprived and emotionally numb, they find fleeting moments of humanity where they can.

As the credits roll, eerie music lingers, leaving no easy resolution. Warfare refuses to glorify its subject matter or wrap its message in a patriotic bow. Instead, it forces viewers to sit with the trauma, the moral gray areas, and the emotional wreckage left behind. This isn’t just Mendoza’s story. It’s the story of every soldier who brings war home with them, their battles far from over.

Cosmo Jarvis (Shōgun) delivers a haunting performance as Elliot, a soldier caught between duty and conscience. Will Poulter, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, Taylor John Smith, and Michael Gandolfini round out the cast, each embodying the quiet desperation of men who have seen too much.

The film will be available to view in theaters on April 11, 2025. View the trailer here.