Alex Garland's Latest Film Is One of the Most Realistic War Dramas Ever You Probably Missed

Alex Garland is best known for his high-concept science fiction projects, such as Devs, Ex Machina, and Annihilation. In 2025, however, he took a step away from his usual style and ended up making one of the best films of his career.

Garland joined forces with former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza to recount one day of war in Warfare.

The movie is a work of unprecedented military realism that turns cinema into an immersive experience and is a testament to the horrors of war.

What Is 'Warfare' About?

In 2006, Mendoza and his fellow Navy SEALs embarked on a dangerous mission in the Iraqi city of Ramadi. They occupied the home of a local family and soon discovered that they were surrounded by terrorist fighters.

They experienced all the stages of a bloody and senseless massacre while trying to call for help and preserve their sanity in the epicenter of the assault.

'Warfare' Is Not Your Typical Epic War Drama

While filming Civil War, Alex Garland met veteran Ray Mendoza. Impressed by the military consultant's work, the director decided to make a movie based on real events that took place in 2006.

War films usually take place in multiple settings. However, Warfare is a rare representative of the genre because its action mostly takes place within four walls.

The first 30 minutes show the characters doing routine things, such as checking their weapons, talking, and waiting for events to happen.

Then, the characters shoot back at the enemy, wait for help, and save their dying friends. Garland and Mendoza remind us that war is sometimes not a large-scale battle, but rather a harsh fight for survival in a small house.

'Warfare' Shows War and Soldiers as Realistically as Possible

Garland and Mendoza's movie differs from the others because of its very abstract script. Essentially, there is no plot: soldiers come under fire and defend themselves.

The authors don't reveal the characters' backgrounds, but we see the hell the soldiers are going through – for this reason alone, it's hard not to empathize with them. The characters of Warfare are real, confused young men who look death right in the face.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Warfare'?

• Warfare has 93% from critics and 93% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the war drama has a score of 7.2/10.

• On Letterboxd, Warfare is scored 3.6/5.

Where to Watch 'Warfare'?

You can rent Warfare on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video. It will become available to stream on HBO Max on September 12.