Warfare (film)
2025 British-American war action film From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Warfare is a 2025 war film written and directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland. Based on Mendoza's experiences during the Iraq War as a U.S. Navy SEAL, the film depicts an encounter he and his platoon experienced on November 19, 2006 in the wake of the Battle of Ramadi.[5] To maintain historical accuracy, the film's material is exclusively taken from the testimonies of the platoon members, and is presented in real time. It stars an ensemble cast that includes D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as Mendoza, alongside Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton, Noah Centineo, and Michael Gandolfini. The film is dedicated to platoon member Elliott Miller (Jarvis), who lost his leg and the ability to speak in the incident.[6]
| Warfare | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by |
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| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | David J. Thompson |
| Edited by | Fin Oates |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | A24 |
Release dates |
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Running time | 95 minutes[1] |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $20 million[2] |
| Box office | $26.4 million[3][4] |
Warfare premiered at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago on March 16, 2025, and was released in the United States by A24 on April 11, 2025, and in the United Kingdom on April 18.
Plot
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Perspective
During the 2006 Battle of Ramadi, Navy SEAL platoon Alpha One takes control of an Iraqi house under the cover of darkness. Upon discovering the upper floor is a separate apartment, they breach a wall to gain entry. JTAC communications officer Ray Mendoza coordinates air support to monitor their position while sniper and medic Elliott Miller monitors a market across the street. They are providing overwatch in support of a US Marines operation.
Translators Farid and Noor learn of different families on the two floors of the building and tell them to remain silent in place. Ray and Elliott observe increased activity and withdrawn air support. ANGLICO LT McDonald radios for air assets while the translators warn that the enemy has broadcast a call to arms. Leading Officer in Charge Erik assigns the translators to guard parts of the building. A grenade is thrown into the sniper's room injuring Elliott and concussing Tommy and Frank. A CASEVAC is called to evacuate Elliott. In preparation, the team gather their weapons and blow Claymore mines. The Iraqi translators through dense smoke lead Elliott, Sam, Tommy and Erik out to the waiting M2 Bradley. As its ramp drops, an IED is detonated killing a translator and wounding Elliott and Leading Petty Officer Sam. The Bradley, also sustaining casualties, withdraws.
Alpha One fall back and reorganize in the house. Inside, they tend to Sam and Elliott, both seriously wounded. Erik calls Alpha Two to urgently collapse into their position, but their advance is delayed by firefights in the street. Air support returns, but because enemy fighters are so close to Alpha One's position McDonald can only coordinate a show of force. Ray determines Sam requires a tourniquet but is unable to apply it due to his shaking hands. Instead, he places his knee on Sam's wound, increasing Sam's agony. Ray dissociates, Erik steps in applying the tourniquet. Elliott regains consciousness and screams in pain as McDonald tends to his injuries. Elliott directs McDonald to the morphine in his bag which is finally administered to Elliott and Sam.
Alpha Two and the third element reach Alpha One's building. Erik, severely discombobulated surrenders his leadership to Alpha Two leader, Jake. Jake's request for medical evacuation is denied for fear of another IED attack. He orders his communications officer, John, to impersonate the army commanding officer to approve their evacuation. Gear is retrieved from the street before Elliott and Sam are loaded into a Bradley each. The team return to the house with insurgents converging on their position. Believing they may have infiltrated the second floor from the roof, Jake orders two other Bradleys to take out the top deck of their building. Under cover of another show of force, Alpha One and Alpha Two are extracted by the Bradleys and leave the neighborhood under heavy small arms fire. The families in the house slowly emerge from their rooms, realizing the military have left. The surviving insurgents cautiously gather in the street and study the remains of the Iraqi translator.
The film ends on the title card: For Elliott. Before the end credits roll, the real SEAL team 5 involved in the mission are shown participating in the production of the film.
Cast
With the exception of Mendoza and Miller, all real-life figures were given aliases for their characters.
- Joseph Quinn as Sam, the LPO (based on Joe Hildebrand[7])
- Charles Melton as Jake, Assistant Officer in Charge
- D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as Ray Mendoza, a communicator/JTAC
- Will Poulter as Erik, Officer in Charge
- Cosmo Jarvis as Elliott Miller, a Corpsman/lead sniper[8]
- Kit Connor as Tommy, a gunner
- Finn Bennett as John, a communicator/JTAC
- Taylor John Smith as Frank, a sniper
- Michael Gandolfini as USMC LT McDonald, an officer in ANGLICO and an FSO (fire support officer)
- Adain Bradley as USMC Sgt. Laerrus, a member of ANGLICO
- Noah Centineo as Brian/Zawi, a gunner
- Evan Holtzman as Brock, a sniper
- Henry Zaga as Aaron, point man
- Alex Brockdorff as Mikey, a point man/gunner
- Nathan Altai as Farid
- Donya Hussen as Noor
- Aaron Deakins as Bob
Production
In February 2024, it was announced that A24 was developing a war film with Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland attached, which would follow Garland's film Civil War, for which Mendoza was military supervisor. The duo wrote the script and planned to direct the film together. At the time of the announcement, Charles Melton was in negotiations to star,[9] and Joseph Quinn was being considered for the cast.[10] D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai was cast to portray Mendoza himself in March 2024, when the title was confirmed to be Warfare,[11] with Kit Connor, Cosmo Jarvis, Will Poulter, and Finn Bennett being added to the cast.[12] That month, Garland announced he would step back from directing films and focus on writing, announcing that his directorial role in Warfare would be more of a supporting role to Mendoza's.[13] In April 2024, Noah Centineo, Taylor John Smith, Adain Bradley, Michael Gandolfini, Henry Zaga, and Evan Holtzman joined the cast.[14] Principal photography began in May 2024 in London.[15]
Release
Warfare was released by A24 in the United States on April 11, 2025.[16][17] The film premiered at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago on March 16, 2025, featuring a Q&A with the directors and Will Poulter after the screening.
Reception
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Box office
In the United States and Canada, Warfare was released alongside The Amateur, Drop, and The King of Kings, and was projected to gross $6–9 million from 2,670 theaters in its opening weekend.[18][2] The film made $3.6 million on its first day, including an estimated $1.16 million from preview screenings throughout the week. It went on to debut to $8.3 million, finishing fourth at the box office.[19][20] In its second weekend the film made $4.9 million (a drop of 41%), finishing in fifth.[21]
Critical response
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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 208 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Narratively cut to the bone and geared up with superb filmmaking craft, Warfare evokes the primal terror of combat with unnerving power."[22] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 78 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[23] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, while those surveyed by PostTrak gave it a 90% overall positive score, with 67% saying they would definitely recommend the film.[19]
Gregory Nussen of Deadline Hollywood wrote: "At best, Warfare is an artfully made recreation; at worst it is naked military propaganda set during one of the country's most egregious moments of imperialism."[24]
References
External links
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