Warfare (2025) Review & Summary

Warfare brings what Alex Garland learned about the brutality of sound in Civil War, but lacks the characters and story to make this film comparably noteworthy.

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on Hours Updated on
Movie Poster - Warfare

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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Warfare Film Details

“Warfare” Film Details

  • Runtime: 1 Hour(s) and 35 Minutes
  • Released On: In Theaters (Public Release Date: April 11, 2025)
  • Director(s): Alex Garland, Ray Mendoza
  • Writer(s): Alex Garland, Ray Mendoza
  • Genre(s): Action, Drama, Thriller, War
  • Rating: Rated R
  • Distributor: A24

Summary

It’s 2006 in Iraq, and a team of soldiers takes over someone’s home and sets up surveillance. Within a day, they find themselves pinned with bullets flying, an IED killing and injuring members of their team, and the only way those alive may get out is seemingly by making a pact with the devil.

Other Noteworthy Information

  • At the end of the film, there is behind-the-scenes footage, and a montage of who played who.
Why Is Warfare Rated R?

Why Is “Warfare” Rated R?

  • Dialog:
    • Cursing: Occasional
    • Discriminatory Language: No
    • Innuendo: None
    • Suicide Mentions: No
  • Violence:
    • Gun Violence: Heavy
    • Violence Against Animals: No
    • Violence Against Children: No
    • Domestic Violence: No
    • Gore/ Blood: Heavy
    • Body Horror: Yes
    • Notable Violence: Fight Scenes
  • Sexual Content:
    • Nudity: No
    • Sexual Situations: No
    • Sexual Violence: No
  • Miscellaneous:
    • Drinking: No
    • Drug Use: Injected (Medical)
    • Vomiting: No
    • Smoking: No

Links

Review and Commentary

Highlight(s)

A Taste Of The Mindset [89/100]

While part of the experience you are given as a viewer is noted as an on-the-fence topic, I must also highlight the good Warfare does. For one, the sound, like in Civil War doesn’t dampen explosions or bullets. You’ll flinch and jump in your seat if you watch this in IMAX or a Dolby Theater, if you aren’t used to those kinds of sounds.

Then, in terms of the sequences, while it can be boring to wait for something to happen in the film, once it gets going, you are engaged. You may not know any characters’ name, just know their faces from this show or that movie, but their performance? The look of seeing people on your team blown up, being shot at, and you are unable to move? Trying to treat a friend who appears dead but you have the faintest of signs they are still breathing? Never mind being in immense pain and not being allowed to look to see what is causing it for your whole body feels on fire? It’s intense.

I do want to give a small hat tip though for, even for a short bit, also giving us a sense of what the locals feel who are forced into these situations. The leads commandeer a house and put a family through so much so they can set up shop for this battle, and the movie ending with their trauma, them being left with this mess the soldiers dropped on them, it reminds you that the hero or antagonist can easily switch depending on who is telling the story.

On The Fence

Hurry Up And Wait [75/100]

For at least a good 20+ minutes to start the movie, it is all about surveillance. You see the men watching for people acting suspicious, walking around, talking on their comms, and it honestly is the most boring experience you can imagine. But that’s part of why we highlighted the mindset the film gets you in. Imagine doing nothing for hours, days at a time, then an explosion or bullets start flying, and you are at peak adrenaline for hours at a time, until your entire being is exhausted.

However, while the energy might be flowing in anticipation for those on screen, waiting truly is a killer, and those moments when they are waiting for rescue or are in between battles, it can feel long—probably longer than it is. This could make some feel like the jolt of an explosion or someone screaming in agony is necessary to wake you up from the stupor this film can put you in.

Barely About What Happened And Nothing About Who It Happened To [73/100]

Generally speaking, for any movie we cover, at least one character is mentioned and talked about, but Warfare is not a character-driven movie; it is story-driven. This works well in terms of making it so you feel a bit more engaged since the only attachment you can make is because that actor was on Stranger Things or the other from Heartstopper. You know they are actors since you can’t get lost in their characters.

But, it doesn’t take away from still connecting with them as you are in this enclosed space, a theater, with booming sound that, as noted above, can cause you to flinch and be startled. However, I will admit, caring who lived and died was more difficult since you don’t get to know anyone personally. They are just random soldiers terrorizing innocent people and leaving blood, guts, body parts, trauma, and destruction with their exit.

Heck, even when presenting this as a story-driven film, you aren’t necessarily given a notable mission to try to justify the harm done to people who have nothing to do with the conflict. It’s just an American war, and these are American soldiers – you’re supposed to root for them. It doesn’t matter if they got a medal or anything, they were out there, on the assumption that this task would protect people back home, so why wouldn’t you see what they did as necessary and just?

Overall

Our Rating (79/100): Mixed (Divisive)

When it comes to Warfare, the lack of details is what takes away from the film. While it is undeniably brutal in its depiction of war, including the sounds which can haunt a person forever, with no details about who these people are, and barely getting to catch their names, the film becomes any soldier’s story. Which, considering how many won’t have their story told, could be considered a good thing. However, it makes for an experience that might be harder to get lost in, beyond when sound effects give you a safe taste of the real thing.

What To Check Out Next

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Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been reviewing media since 2010. He approaches each production with hope, rooting for every story to succeed, and believes criticism should come from unmet potential, while praise is reserved for work that meets or exceeds expectations.