Civil War

Directed by Alex Garland, Civil War follows several journalists, including Kirsten Dunst’s Lee and Wagner Moura’s Joel, as they attempt to make their way to Washington during a protracted battle within the United States. Filmmaker Garland, armed with his own screenplay, delivers a progressively compelling endeavor that gets off to a less-than-enthralling start, admittedly, as the movie, which runs a slightly overlong 109 minutes, boasts a context-free opening stretch that contains few, if any, elements designed to initially capture the viewer’s interest and attention – with the arms-length atmosphere compounded by Garland’s ongoing caginess in terms of explaining the situation and his decision to infuse the proceedings with a distinctly episodic structure. There’s little doubt, then, that Civil War, in its early stages, benefits substantially from the top-tier efforts of its central performers, and it’s clear, ultimately, that the picture improves substantially once it moves into a second half overflowing with tense, engrossing scenes and sequences – with this particularly true of a mid-movie set-piece detailing the heroes’ nail-biting encounter with a militia group (led by Jesse Plemons’ terrifying figure). By the time the action-packed (and completely satisfying) climax rolls around, Civil War has cemented its place as an erratic yet thoroughly rewarding endeavor that feels all-too-plausible in this political landscape.

***1/2 out of ****