Category: Reviews

Synopsis

In the Iraqi city of Ramadi, NAVY Seal Team Alpha One takes control of a multi-story house for surveillance. Ray Mendoza (D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai) monitors their position while Elliot Miller (Cosmo Jarvis) trains his sniper rifle on a nearby market. Things quickly go wrong when a grenade gets thrown into the room Miller's in, which injures him. The team calls in an evac to get Elliot some medical attention, but an IED blows up the transport. While only one soldier gets killed, Miller and the team's medic, Sam (Joseph Quinn), are both gravely wounded. The team's leader, Erik (Will Poulter), tries forming a plan of action but is understandably shaken by what's happened. With a team of soldiers scrambling for answers and two men nearly dying, Erik calls in Alpha Two for assistance. Will the other Seals make it in time, or will this be Alpha One's final mission?

Review

Much like Oliver Stone's Platoon, Warfare succeeds in depicting its war in a real and visceral way. It also helps that its respective filmmakers served in the military and used their experiences as references. While I think Stone's Vietnam movie is better, Mendoza's first-time directing effort is commendable, and I'm excited for what's next. You feel like you're there with the soldiers as they try to survive this unknown environment. The slow start might put some off, but it feels natural and gives a false sense of security. The action happens so abruptly that you feel the shock that the characters experience and are similarly discombobulated. This movie isn't any pro-America propaganda showing how awesome being part of the military is that depicts Middle Easterners offensively. Instead, the filmmakers want you to experience war in its purest form: raw, unfeeling, gritty, nonpolitical, and unbiased.

The cast does an excellent job with the material, even if there's a lack of characterization. Relative newcomer D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai is fantastic as the communications officer trying to stay focused amid the chaos. Will Poulter is also great, using his facial expressions and body language to communicate a feeling of helplessness and confusion. You can tell he's trying to be an effective leader, but he is way over his head. Cosmo Jarvis and Joseph Quinn also excel as ordinary soldiers enduring some of the worst pain imaginable. While I'd typically dock this movie points for its lack of deep characters, that's not the point. In war, you don't have time to get to know people better, especially when anyone can die anytime. You don't need character insights or deep backstories to feel emotional for these guys fighting to see another day.

For a first-time director, Ray Mendoza shows much promise, as he knows how to capture action effectively. The editing is fast-paced and kinetic, but it's never so chaotic that you can't tell what's happening. David Thompson's cinematography goes from long, sweeping shots to in-your-face, shaky cam, but in a way that feels natural. The sound design adds to the sense of realism, with the faraway gunshots mixed with deep breathing. The pacing is deliberate, slow before going headfirst without a second's notice, and still easy to follow. It helps that the film is only 95 minutes long, so it never feels padded or overlong. Please don't expect a straightforward narrative since this is more about capturing an experience, which it does phenomenally. Overall, Warfare is one of the best war films in recent memory and one of 2025's best movies so far.

Warfare is in theaters.