Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Explicit violence, gore, language in alien action thriller.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
War Machine (2026)
What's the Story?
In WAR MACHINE, two enlisted brothers reunite at a military camp only to be hit by incoming explosives that kill everyone but one of the brothers (Alan Ritchson). Looking to fulfil his brother's long-held dream of becoming a Ranger, the surviving brother applies to the Ranger Assessment Selection Program (RASP). In bootcamp, the brother (now known by his identifying number, 81) avoids bonding with the other cadets. He also leads them in every physical test, but his superiors, Army Officer Torres (Esai Morales) and Army Sgt Maj Sheridan (Dennis Quaid), are worried about his mental health. When the remaining group of cadets are sent out on their final exam, an in-field training exercise, nobody is prepared for what's waiting for them—a powerful and aggressive machine from another world.
Is It Any Good?
Netflix may be hoping Alan Ritchson can do for the Rangers what Tom Cruise did for Navy fighters in Top Gun. Problem is that this fighter, known only as 81 in War Machine, doesn't have the depth or development of Cruise's Maverick. He's also the only real character in the film, besides the alien enemy. Quaid is set up as a Top Gun-style compassionate-but-tough superior, but he's not given the meat of Tom Skerritt's Viper either. Ritchson's steely reserve and infinite determination are believable, given Act One's backstory. Dialogue is kept to a minimum and exchanges mostly serve to shape 81's character. Same for the action, really.
The efficient exposition of unforgiving Ranger bootcamp leads us right into the alien's entry in Act Two. The fight and flight scenes are tense and well-choreographed, supported by an eerie score reminiscent of Volker Bertelmann's Oscar-winning score for All Quiet on the Western Front. It's a bold move by scriptwriters Hughes and Beaufort to annihilate almost everyone, and as director, Hughes also seems to really enjoy the gory details of the deaths and dismemberments, letting the camera hover over charred and mangled bodies, and sending blood squirting out of missing limbs. Steel yourself like 81 and enjoy the ride. A sequel seems likely.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in War Machine. When does a portrayal of violence and its effects go too far for you? How do you think filmmakers make decisions about what to include or not?
Do you believe there's life on other planets? Do you worry about an alien invasion? Did this one seem realistic?
Why is 81 so driven? What's behind his determination?
What do you think of the fact that we never learn most of the characters' actual names? Do you think there's deeper meaning to this?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : March 6, 2026
- Cast : Alan Ritchson , Dennis Quaid , Esai Morales
- Director : Patrick Hughes
- Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Aliens , Family Stories , Friendship , Robots
- Character Strengths : Courage , Teamwork
- Run time : 106 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong violence, grisly images, and language
- Last updated : March 10, 2026
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