Warfare — Visceral Combat Film Immerses Viewers

Ryan Coogler's Sinners might be dominating the box office, but A24's Warfare is quietly creating one of the most intense cinephile conversations of the year. Alex Garland's follow-up to Civil War has sparked passionate debate among viewers, with many calling it the most viscerally disturbing war film in years.

For those who haven't experienced it yet, Warfare drops viewers into the chaos of a SEAL team operation in Iraq that goes catastrophically wrong. Shot in real time with minimal exposition, the film recreates the sensory overwhelm of combat with startling authenticity. The sound design specifically has become a focal point of discussion, with countless viewers noting how the film's audio creates a physical reaction unlike anything they've experienced in a theater.

"I just saw Warfare, and I'm going to try to be as spoiler-light as I can," wrote one community member. "Warfare is not a movie, it's an experience. I have never in my life felt that overwhelmed and stressed by a movie. The sound design is unforgiving and overwhelming and loud."

This sensory immersion is precisely what's driving the film's most devoted supporters. Many viewers have pointed out that while most war films follow traditional narrative arcs, Warfare deliberately avoids these comforts. "The movie barely has a story compared to something like Saving Private Ryan or Lone Survivor, but it doesn't need one," another commenter explained. "The point of this movie is not to tell you a riveting story about a squad that gets pinned down and makes a miraculous effort to escape. The point of this movie is to drag you to the deep end and try and drown you."

What's particularly striking about community reactions is how veterans have responded to the film. One former combat medic who served three tours in Iraq shared: "We had a medic stab himself in the thumb with the morphine auto injector one time like in the movie. We made fun of him constantly. 10/10." Other veterans have noted the film's attention to detail regarding the fog of war, the sound of different weapons, radio protocols, and the psychological impact of combat.

The film's portrayal of downtime between combat has received particular praise. "The downtime in combat. I assumed once the shooting starts it doesn't end until one side is dead or retreats. The lull in combat with the injured SEALs in absolute agony is so brutal," observed one viewer. Others highlighted the film's unflinching portrayal of concussions and traumatic brain injuries, with several commenting on how the film shows that "these guys are flesh, blood, guts, and bone. You get your bell rung hard enough it's not an option to just 'tough it out'."

Another element generating significant discussion is the film's depiction of the Iraqi family whose home is occupied. "What a fucked situation, waking up to people sledgehammering your wall and it only gets worse from there," noted one commenter. "Your home is wrecked, it's getting shot up with your family in it, there's blood all over, people screaming in agony and then they evacuate, the war moves on and you're to deal with that shit."

While sentiment around the film is predominantly positive with viewers praising its technical achievements and realistic portrayal of combat, the film has sparked some debate about its politics. Some viewers argue the film is deliberately neutral about the Iraq War, while others see its very neutrality as a political statement about the war's futility. Regardless of interpretation, most agree the film succeeds in its primary goal: making viewers feel the disorienting chaos of modern warfare.

What's clear from community reactions is that while Warfare might not be a box office juggernaut, it's leaving an indelible impression on those who see it. As one viewer succinctly put it: "The point of the movie is not a story, but to demonstrate that war is a sensory assault on human beings, and does not follow a three-act narrative structure with heroes and villains."

In an era where war is often sanitized or glamorized in media, Warfare is being celebrated for doing something far more uncomfortable yet necessary: showing the physical and psychological reality of combat without narrative comfort. For those seeking a thought-provoking cinema experience rather than traditional entertainment, Warfare appears to be delivering precisely what they're looking for—even if they leave the theater needing a moment to decompress.