Overview

• ‘Warfare’ is co-directed by Alex Garland and Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza, based on a real 2006 Navy SEAL mission in Ramadi, Iraq.
• The film aims for stark realism, reconstructing events through veterans’ memories with no musical score or backstories, presenting combat in near real time.
• Critics highlight the film’s visceral portrayal of violence but question its lack of broader political or civilian perspectives.
• Veterans have praised ‘Warfare’ for its authenticity, calling the filmmaking process therapeutic and a way to feel heard and represented.
• Alex Garland describes the film as implicitly anti-war, emphasizing that while war is undesirable, it is sometimes necessary in certain circumstances.