“Once you start asking those questions, you can’t stop. So we don’t ask. We record so other people ask.”

This quote, said to Jessie by Lee, is featured in “Civil War,” the latest film from Alex Garland, released during a time of pure political polarization in the United States; with this hostile climate having permeated this country for the past several years.

Taking place in a futuristic war-torn United States that feels strangely current, “Civil War” focuses on a group of photojournalists documenting the titular war, primarily focusing on Lee (played by Kirsten Dunst) a journalist who is traveling across the decimated country on assignment. Joining her is her colleague Joel (played by Wagner Moura) and her mentor Sammy (played by Stephen McKinley Henderson). Dunst’s portrayal of this journalist is truly outstanding, capturing how much the war has worn her down mentally through the delivery of her dialogue and the emotion in her performance. 

With them is a young aspiring photojournalist named Jessie (played by Cailee Spaeny), who is invited to join them on their journey to Washington, D.C., to interview the President (played by Nick Offerman). Spaeny, whose breakout role was Sofia Coppola’s latest film “Priscilla,” delivers an excellent performance as this young woman who views Lee as her hero. She is soon thrust into the horrors of war, showcased through her emotional distraught after experiencing a horrifying incident at a gas station, during the film’s first act. 

Jesse Plemons is also featured briefly in the film, in an uncredited appearance as a white nationalist in a disturbing sequence, highlighting the horrifying revelation that bigots are taking advantage of this war by committing acts of ethnic cleansing. 

With his latest film, Alex Garland, the director and writer, does something interesting with the film’s concept by focusing the perspective not on the soldiers or participants of the titular war but on the people not often featured in war films: The journalists. “Civil War” is a surprisingly apolitical film, yet at times, it is political – leading to a fascinating approach to the subject matter of this feature.

Photo of a “Civil War” movie poster. (Contributed/IMDb)

One aspect that particularly stood out is the fantastic soundtrack, with two tracks showcasing Garland’s excellent usage of nondiegetic sound. “Rocket USA” (which is prominently featured in a sequence in the first act of the film, where the journalists descend upon a freeway filled with destruction) and “Dream Baby Dream” are both by the influential experimental synthpunk duo, Suicide, with the former being a track from their 1977 self-titled debut.

While I enjoyed the film, I have a few issues with it.  For instance, the Western Forces don’t exactly make sense, as it is an alliance consisting of the states of California and Texas, which is quite ironic (as they are the polar opposites of each other in terms of their political landscape).

There is also the lack of addressing what exactly caused the titular war to begin in the first place. The closest the viewer gets to this is an allusion in a scene during the first act, where the photojournalists are in the car, going over possible questions to ask the President. These questions allude to possible reasons why this civil war may have started. These reasons might be why California and Texas formed an alliance, but it’s never confirmed how this war came to fruition.

“Civil War” examines the political polarization that has emerged in today’s climate and the importance of war journalism in a hypothetical second civil war, drenched in the bleakness the war brings wherever it occurs. Alex Garland has crafted a film that takes a unique approach to the subject matter by simultaneously being both political and apolitical. Along with this are the fantastic leading performances from Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny, as well as an excellent soundtrack. While I have mixed thoughts on the lack of reasoning or explanation behind the war (even though that isn’t the film’s primary focus), it is still a pretty good film overall. 

“Civil War” is currently playing in theaters.

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