Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Intense, bloody Iraq war story honors those who serve.
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Warfare
What's the Story?
In WARFARE, it's November 2006 in Ramadi, Iraq, and U.S. Navy SEALs have been tasked with setting up surveillance in a dangerous area controlled by Al Qaeda. In the darkness, they slip into a second-floor apartment and prepare for their mission, which is to secure the area for safe passage for other U.S. forces. Among the SEALs are officer-in-charge Erik (Will Poulter), medic/sniper Elliott (Cosmo Jarvis), and communications officer Ray (D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai). Little do they know just how dangerous the area is, however, and it's not long before Al Qaeda knows that they're there. They toss a warning grenade through a window, causing injuries. An escape plan is put into motion, but it's going to take everything the men have to make it out alive.
Is It Any Good?
It's not an easy watch, but this war drama manages to do what many others haven't, which is to portray warfare as a brutal hell while still honoring the brave people who serve their country. Perhaps inspired by his previous movie, Civil War, co-director Alex Garland steps out of his sci-fi/futurism comfort zone with Warfare. To do so, he teamed with former communications officer Ray Mendoza, who was there in 2006 and is credited as co-writer/co-director. According to an opening text crawl, the movie was scripted entirely from the memories of the men who survived the mission. So it's a living journal, in which even the most insignificant moments—such as when one man accidentally injects morphine into his own finger—are considered as part of the whole.
The real achievement is the movie's pacing, collecting the events of a very long day into a compact 95 minutes. Warfare begins with a moment of cutting loose (the men watch and dance and laugh along with the music video "Call on Me" by Eric Prydz), followed by many moments of stealthy quiet, waiting and watching. It's only when that first grenade goes off that things kick into high gear. There are moments during which even seasoned viewers will want to turn their heads, close their eyes, or cover their ears. But as Warfare winds down, our thoughts go to the people who chose a life of service.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Warfare's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
What are the movie's takeaways? What does it have to say about war? What does it have to say about serving your country? Does it have a political point of view?
How do you think the writing process went for this movie, with the survivors contributing their memories? How is this different from a traditional screenplay? How accurate do you think the movie is to what actually happened?
How do the characters demonstrate communication? How is teamwork depicted?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 11, 2025
- On DVD or streaming : May 6, 2025
- Cast : Will Poulter , D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai , Joseph Quinn
- Directors : Alex Garland , Ray Mendoza
- Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Director(s) , Mexican Movie Director(s) , Indigenous Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : A24
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : intense war violence and bloody/grisly images, and language throughout
- Award : BAFTA - BAFTA Nominee
- Last updated : February 19, 2026
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