Good war film, slow paced until it’s not, then they had to extract. Felt like a realistic experience.

Intense, powerful and unsparing!

I expected more storytelling leading up to the action, just never was provided a backstory.

A war film written and directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland. Based on Mendoza’s experiences during the Iraq War as a U.S. Navy SEAL, the film depicts an encounter he and his platoon experienced in 2006 after the Battle of Ramadi, with the chaos and brotherhood of war retold through their memories of the event. A raw, visceral, and realistic film about modern warfare, told like never before: in real time, in a single setting, and based on the memories of those who lived it. It may begin slowly, but given the faithful realism of the scenes, that feels both natural and necessary. The entire cast is outstanding in conveying the pain and despair of such harrowing situations, and the camera work is so immersive that one cannot help but feel trapped in there alongside them. It is an unforgettable cinematic experience—not for the faint of heart. The tension is relentless, leaving you anxious and hopeless, as if there were no way out. There are no war heroes or epic adventures here. In fact, there is not even a conventional story—only the unvarnished truth of war and the bloody horrors it entails, rendered almost like a documentary. The sound design is both breathtaking and horrifying, a barrage of gunfire and explosions that deserve high praise. And the absence of a musical score is deafening in its impact. This film leaves an emotional toll long after the credits roll. Brutally honest and deeply disturbing.

I see some reviews pointing out the the SEALs seemed 'clueless'. What you have to consider with SEALs, is that many of them are/were 18/19 years old. Add that to the fact it could be their 1st deployment! If so, then they really are/were, learning on the job. I would recommend you go and watch some of the Veterans stories on Shawn Ryans podcast, then come back to this. In particular, the Cody Alford episode. That will (IMO) give you context, how the enemy operated and more understanding of just what these guys were up against. In 05/06, the war changed gears, the insurgency racked up a notch, and IEDs became the thing. Ramadi (where this is set), and Fallujah were defining moments in the war. Watching/listening to the above mentioned podcast, this film really does match what I visualised. Totally stripped back, it really does capture the intensity, chaos and reality of what these guys experienced. From laughing and joking about a music video, to being blown up, thrust into a scenario where they guys you've just been laughing and joking with, are now screaming with their legs blown apart. Think of this, I would imagine those who were not injured, were back out on another operation within a day or so.

This movie had great acting and I think it gives a good look at what it’s like to be in war, it helps that one of the directors was apart of the war that was depicted in the film. While these aspects of the movie were great it had an abrupt ending that made me want to know more about what happened and (spoiler warning ahead) I wish there was less screaming. Joseph Quinn’s character is involved in a bombing and is one of the characters that survives, even managing to stay awake. Although he is in so much pain that all he can do is scream. Wouldn’t he have passed out from the pain if it was that excruciating??

Just brilliant. Wowww

To put it simply, strip back the special effects, and you're not left with much. I feel as though I have seen this entire film, as PARTS of a good storyline of several other war films. For example, black hawk down (which is a very good war films).

raw, well made, well acted ... but it ends a bit abruptly that left me a little bit like... that's it? It's worth a once over for sure. But, I probably won't revisit it. I love war esq./military films, too.

Are you kidding me? A24 HAS DONE IT AGAIN. They have single-handedly created one of the most powerful messages that military movies always aim to spread but never quite get there. This movie had me biting my nails and shaking in anticipation, one of the only times a military action movie has made me understand the true nature of the field. 👏👏

Incredibly raw and riveting account of SEALs ambush in Iraq that proves even the best trained and elite forces aren’t invincible!

Not the best. Who are these guys? We don't get to know them at all. They're supposed to be on sniper duty and they let an enemy drop a grenade in the middle of them? They give up the high ground (their own roof) but, the enemy doesn't do anything with it. Somehow, the enemy puts a huge IED in exactly the right place even though this is supposedly a random house guarded by SEALs. There's a lot of blood and guts, a lot of shooting, some low-level fly-bys, but somehow it never comes together as a story. We got ambushed. It was bad and some guys got shot. That's about it.

What a great and intense film! Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland truly outdid themselves with this one. I can’t wait to see what they create together next.

📝 Screenplay: 2,0 in 5,0 📸 Cinematography: 3,5 in 5,0 🎧 Sound Design: 3,5 in 5,0 🎵 Soundtrack: 0,0 in 5,0 👨‍🎤 Styling: 3,5 in 5,0 ✂️ Editing: 2,0 in 5,0 ⭐️ Final Rating: 2,5 in 5,0

do i have tinitus or is that still the movie! love! i wish they had taken another 10 minutes to explain to me what they were doing and what they were up to, but all in all it was still a great "experience"

It felt like a 1/3 of the movie it was a guy screaming in pain on the floor. I'm sure the goal of the movie was to capture the authentic battles that took place and they achieve that. However, in terms of watching a movie they sorely lacked in character and story development. I was glad when it was over.

As others have noted, this is more of a cinema-verite doc than a narrative film. There is no character development or genuine reason to care for any of these guys, just a matter-of-fact rendition of what happened to them that day. The events are captured quite well, but it never rises above that. The performances are excellent though, from the entire cast.

Warfare is truly a standout war film, neither overly cliched with gun fights and bloody battle scenes nor does it pull its punches on the horrific nature of war. Perhaps its best features are that of its wide-pan cinematography, immersive audio that grabs you by the balls and precise acting and directing on behalf of Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland. It truly shows that in the dark times of modern films, top tier talent can still shine through.

The sound design, the ambiance, the effects, and almost everything on this film is very realistic. It’ll take you right the heart of the battle. Every second of this 90-minute film is very worth to watch.

No character development which is a key aspect to any movie. It might as well of been a fancy go pro pov. Trash.