Civil War

"After a successful career as a screenwriter in films like 28 Days Later'and Never Let Me Go, Alex Garland has built a reputation as a director with movies such as Ex -Machina, Annihilation, and Men, each seeking to raise questions about identity, oppression, and power dynamics in their own way. Civil War takes these reflections not so much to the battlefield (as its title might suggest) but to the field of journalism. The plot, in the form of a road movie, is set in a near-future dystopia where political polarization in the United States has divided the country into warring factions under a corrupt and authoritarian government. With the president (Nick Offerman) nearing defeat, a group of veteran journalists (Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, and Stephen McKinley Henderson), along with a young photographer (Priscilla's Cailee Spaeny), decide to embark on a dangerous journey to secure an exclusive interview and document the progress of the war. Rather than reflecting on political polarization in the United States, Garland's approach is more of a reflection of the role played by journalism and the media in this regard. Perhaps it doesn't say anything truly new or profound on the subject, and its fascination with the political deterioration of the American nation is almost exploitative. But as entertainment, it's a truly absorbing movie, and the entire cast is phenomenal."