Warfare is an A24 war movie and I cut it real close to being able to see this in the theatre. I went to the last showing that my theatre was doing and I was the only person in the theatre, which was great as I sat right in the middle by myself, which we will go into more detail later. A24 is one of the most prolific movie studios out there right now and this is another jewel in their crown.
How to Download Warfare
Warfare was released on April 11, 2025. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform such as Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV. You can also expect it to become available for streaming on Max. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
Review of Warfare: Directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland
Written and directed by Ray Mendoza, who is an actual military veteran. Also working on the script with Ray Mendoza was Alex Garland, who I am a fan of and recently gave us the very entertaining Civil War. What we have here is a much more personal kind of war movie. It is set during the 2000s Iraq War, but the whole movie is one small, but brutal conflict that Mendoza was actually a part of.
Plot and Character Development in Warfare
Set in 2006, Warfare has a group of Navy Seals taking up shelter in a house after the Battle of Ramadi. The first 30 or so minutes of the movie are great in getting us to connect with these characters as they try and lay low, break each others balls and just try to de-stress a little bit or as best as they can in this situation.
High Tension and Survival: The Core of Warfare
The situation that they are in turns very, very bad. They start to notice that people around the house are looking and talking on phones/walkie-talkies and they feel that they may have been compromised. We basically now have a movie that is all about these brave men trying to fight and survive until they are evacuated from this nightmare that they are in.
A Realistic and Immersive A24 War Film Experience
Warfare is pretty much what you would expect from a war movie made by A24, and I mean that in a very complimentary way. This is only around 90s minutes, but it is a very stressful and tense 90 minutes, especially if you are not aware of the outcome of this situation that these men were actually in.
Incredible Acting and Emotional Depth in Warfare
There is a fantastic cast here, and they are all so believable. This is a very “real” feeling kind of movie, and the acting was a huge part of making me feel like I was there with these guys. Each actor 100 percent commits to the part, and even though this is a pretty short movie, you feel connected to some of these characters, and you truly do fear for their lives.
Unmatched Sound Design in Warfare
Another reason why this movie felt so real was the sound. Granted, it may have been because I was in an empty theatre and sitting right in the middle, but the sound literally blew me away. From the jet doing its show of force to the scene where the sound is all muffled after an explosion. The sound design in this movie is incredible and probably the main reason why this will be a movie that I add to my collection when it is released for the home as I want to hear this with my own surround sound setup.
Final Thoughts on Warfare: A Must-Watch War Film
I truly did have a lot of fun watching this. I would not go as far as to say that Warfare is the greatest war movie I have ever seen, but this was one hell of a thrilling and tense ride. I am so glad I was able to see this before it left my theatre! When this hits streaming, I highly recommend that you watch this if you are into war movies. I am sure you will really enjoy it.
