Warfare (film)

In 2006, after the Battle of Ramadi, Navy SEAL platoon Alpha One takes control of a two-story house under the cover of darkness. JTAC communications officer Ray Mendoza coordinates air support to monitor their position, while sniper and corpsman Elliott Miller monitors a market down the street with fellow sniper Frank, providing overwatch in support of a joint operation with the Marines. Iraqi army interpreters Farid and Sidar gather the two families who live on separate floors of the building into one of the bedrooms. The SEALs observe increasing enemy activity, and air support leaves their area. ANGLICO Lieutenant MacDonald radios for air assets while the interpreters warn the enemy has broadcast a call to arms. Leading Officer in Charge Erik and Leading Petty Officer Sam order the interpreters to guard the lower level of the building. A grenade is thrown in the sniper's room without warning, injuring Elliott. A CASEVAC is called to evacuate him while the SEALs and insurgents exchange gunfire. The team gathers their gear, blows Claymore mines to clear the perimeter, and withdraw through smoke cover toward a waiting U.S. Army M2 Bradley. Farid and Sidar are reluctantly sent out first, before the rest of the team follows behind them. As its ramp drops to receive the squad, an IED explodes. Farid is killed; Sidar flees; Elliott and Sam are severely wounded; Ray, Erik, and Tommy suffer concussions. The injured Bradley crew drives the vehicle away. Alpha One regroups back in the house, tending to Sam and Elliott's severe injuries. Alpha Two is prevented from redeploying to help Alpha One by firefights in the street. Air support returns, but because enemy fighters are so close to Alpha One's position, MacDonald can only coordinate a show of force. Ray and Erik's traumatic brain injuries cause them to dissociate and become badly disoriented. Alpha Two arrives at the building and Jake takes command at Erik's request. His request for another CASEVAC is referred up the chain of command for fear of another IED attack and he orders his communications officer, John, to impersonate the brigade's commanding officer to approve their evacuation. The SEALs provide covering fire as Elliott and Sam are successfully evacuated by Bradley. The survivors prepare to defend the house with insurgents converging on them, and order Bradleys to rake the second floor above them with their cannons. Under the cover of another show of force, Alpha One and Alpha Two are transported out of the area by Bradleys under heavy fire. The civilians slowly emerge from the bedroom, relieved the soldiers have left, while insurgents walk into the street. ==Cast==

With the exception of Mendoza and Miller, all real-life figures were given aliases for their characters. Alpha One Platoon • D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as Ray Mendoza, a JTAC • Will Poulter as Erik, a Lieutenant and Officer in Charge, leader of Alpha One • Cosmo Jarvis as Elliott Miller, a Corpsman and lead sniper • Kit Connor as Tommy, a gunner and the youngest member of Alpha One • Taylor John Smith as Frank, a sniper • Michael Gandolfini as USMC Captain) • Nathan Altai as Farid, an Iraqi interpreter assisting Alpha One • Heider Ali as Sidar, an Iraqi interpreter assisting Alpha One Alpha Two Platoon • Charles Melton as Jake, a Lieutenant J.G. and Assistant Officer in Charge, leader of Alpha Two • Finn Bennett as John, a communicator/JTAC for Alpha Two • Noah Centineo as Brian Zawi, a gunner (based on Brian Alazzawi) in Alpha Two • Evan Holtzman as Brock, a sniper in Alpha Two • Henry Zaga as Aaron, a point man in Alpha Two • Alex Brockdorff as Mikey, a point man/gunner in Alpha Two • Aaron Deakins as Bob, a member of Alpha Two Iraqi Family • Donya Hussen as Noor ==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, and Joseph Quinn was being considered for the cast. D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai was cast to portray Mendoza himself in March 2024, when the title was confirmed to be Warfare, with Kit Connor, Cosmo Jarvis, Will Poulter, and Finn Bennett being added to the cast. 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. In April 2024, Noah Centineo, Taylor John Smith, Adain Bradley, Michael Gandolfini, Henry Zaga, and Evan Holtzman joined the cast. Filming took place at Bovingdon Airfield Studios in the UK. ==Release==

Warfare was released by A24 in the United States on 11 April 2025. The film premiered at the Hollywood American Legion Theater in Los Angeles on 12 March 2025, in front of veterans and members of the military community and featured a questions and answers session with the directors after the screening. The film had a star-studded red carpet premiere in Los Angeles on 27 March 2025. The film had a UK premiere at Battersea Power Station Cinema on 1 April 2025, which was attended by many of the cast and crew, before going on general release in the UK on 18 April 2025. The film was made available to stream on HBO Max on 12 September 2025. ==Reception==

Box office Warfare grossed $26 million in the United States and Canada, and $8.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $34.9 million. 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. In its second weekend the film made $4.9 million (a drop of 41%), finishing in fifth. Critical response Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale (tied with The Iron Claw for the highest grade earned by an A24 film), while those surveyed by PostTrak gave it a 90% overall positive score, with 67% saying they would definitely recommend the film. Critic Wendy Ide of The Guardian also gave Warfare five stars, writing that the film, "doesn't just show you the horrors of war; it forces you to taste the dust and the choking panic, smell the fear and the cordite and the tinny metallic tang of spilled blood", and favorably compared it with other war films such as Saving Private Ryan, Come and See, and All Quiet on the Western Front. In a mixed review, 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." Accolades ==References==