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Reviews for Civil War directed by Alex Garland, starring Kirsten Dunst

RastaMentality

RastaMentality

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,223
First reviews from SXSW dropping.
RT: 88% https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/civil_war_2024


www.hollywoodreporter.com

‘Civil War’ Review: Alex Garland’s Dystopian Thriller Starring Kirsten Dunst Stimulates the Intellect, if Not the Emotions

The actress stars alongside Cailee Spaeny in the 'Ex Machina' and 'Annihilation' director's latest feature about a group of journalists chronicling a violent conflict in the United States.
www.hollywoodreporter.com www.hollywoodreporter.com
variety.com

‘Civil War’ Review: Alex Garland Tears America Apart, Counting on Divided Audiences to Prevent His Worst-Case Horror Show

Kirsten Dunst plays a jaded photojournalist documenting the end of democracy in Alex Garland's 'Civil War.'
variety.com variety.com
www.rollingstone.com

'Civil War' Imagines America's Worst-Case Scenario Right Around the Corner

The 'Ex Machina' filmmaker presents a divided states of America at war with itself as blood runs in the streets. No, it's not a documentary — yet.
www.rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com
www.polygon.com

Civil War ditches present politics in favor of gripping action and emotion

Review: Annihilation director Alex Garland pins Civil War on stars Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny, rather than on American infighting. In theaters April 12.
www.polygon.com www.polygon.com
www.austinchronicle.com

SXSW Film Review: Civil War

Alex Garland enters the battlefield of combat zone journalism
www.austinchronicle.com www.austinchronicle.com

It is a film about journalistic ethics and, in its own way, the interpretation of images is grounded in [Dunst's] outstanding performance. It isn't an easy role to inhabit, but she does so perfectly.
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A literal shock to the system, Civil War is designed to be divisive.
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The premise is a perfect opportunity to take a cold, hard, genre-inflected look at the American experiment's current slouching toward self-destruction — the only question is whether Garland's wild potboiler wants to explore or exploit our state of the nation, and the jury's still out on that
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GrantDaNasty

GrantDaNasty

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,305
It definitely had the chance of either being very hamfisted, or quite effective considering the core topic. Seems like it's the latter - as such would like to see it myself.
 
SinnyIndonesian

SinnyIndonesian

Member
Feb 16, 2022
15,627
Reading some of the reviews, seems like the movie's taking a different angle than I would've expected given the subject matter/topic. Probably won't be what people are expecting to see.
 
BeeDog

BeeDog

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,944
Sounds much better than I was anticipating from the initial trailer, now I actually am eager to see this.
 
CloudWolf

CloudWolf

Member
Oct 26, 2017
16,185
Good to see it's much better than that dreck Men. Hope that was just a temporary stumble.
 
Rango

Rango

Member
Oct 29, 2017
472
some people are saying it's his best film?! better than ex machina? I doubt it
 
Triggerhappytel

Triggerhappytel

Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,567
I haven't watched Men yet (nor Devs, which I think was Garland?) but I love his previous films. I haven't really followed this but I will definitely go to check it out.
 
Eulala

Eulala

Member
Aug 8, 2018
734
His script skips past why the conflict started, aside from the questionable notion that Texas and California both seceded and subsequently pooled resources (calling themselves "the Western Forces") against a power-hungry three-term president (Nick Offerman).
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The same goes for Jessie, whose youth offers insights into her risky behavior, and Joel, who is Latino and from Florida (a state that here has its own faction separate from the alliance between Texas and California).
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Even in an alternate timeline where California and Texas secede and band together, here's Florida doing Florida.
 

LV-0504

Member
Oct 6, 2022
3,921
Aside from Men, which I haven't seen, he's been my favourite filmmaker of the last decade or so. Can't wait to see this.
 
Carn

Carn

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,463
The Netherlands
Good reviews. I always found it funny how people already were shitting on the film based on the premise and trailers. I mean, it's Garland, you might not like it but there is usually always more to it with his movies.
 
Wollan

Wollan

Mostly Positive
Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,119
Norway but living in France
Ex-Machina and Annihilation: Both brilliant.

Devs: Very good but the leading actress (Garland's wife I believe?) was terrible casting with zero ability to carry the show... But the show is very good otherwise, good ensemble. Some great highs.

Men: It seemed very promising in the first thirty minutes then it becomes very [not good] weird and messy.

I was worried about about Civil War due to the trailer so glad to hear that some people love it.
 
Saito

Saito

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,864
I don't think I'm in the mood for something like this at this point. I'll see what friends have to say.
 
808s & Villainy

808s & Villainy

Member
Oct 27, 2017
44,014
Wollan said:
Ex-Machina and Annihilation: Both brilliant.

Devs: Very good but the leading actress (Garland's wife I believe?) was terrible casting with zero ability to carry the show... But the show is very good otherwise, good ensemble. Some great highs.

Men: It seemed very promising in the first thirty minutes then it becomes very [not good] weird and messy.

I was worried about about Civil War due to the trailer so glad to hear that some people love it.
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They've never been dated lol
 
Sanjuro

Sanjuro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
32,368
Massachusetts
GBO9i1AWEAApQ9l.jpg:large


I'm here for this
 
IDreamOfHime

IDreamOfHime

Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,264
He wrote my favorite novel of all time, ill always be there for him even when I don't end up liking it as with Men and Devs.
 
slider

slider

Member
Nov 10, 2020
2,906
I've always liked Dunst. I think she's very watchable. So I'm glad she's apparently good in this.

Film sounds super interesting. Will add it to the list.
 

Deleted member 8579

Oct 26, 2017
33,843
I understand it makes Americans uncomfortable which I think some of the negativity comes from which is absolutely understandable in the current climate but I doubt the film is meant to rally Trumpers, they are already anyway. The director wouldn't make such a film.

I'll watch but fine if you don't feel like it.
 
Teusery

Teusery

"This guy are sick"
Member
May 18, 2022
2,593
It's almost perverse how little Civil War reveals about the sides of the central conflict, or the causes or crises that led to war. (Viewers who show up expecting an action movie that confirms their own political biases and demonizes their opponents are going to leave especially confused about what they just watched.) This isn't a story about the causes or strategies of American civil war: It's a personal story about the hows and whys of war journalism — and how the field changes for someone covering a war in their homeland instead of on foreign turf.
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What? I hated the concept of this movie and what it is playing into. Then it turns out it is even just using that as a fun backdrop. I think I despise this.
 
Doug Dimmadome

Doug Dimmadome

Member
Jan 20, 2022
4,137
Thought the trailers looked kind of lame. But I enjoy Garland so I'm glad to hear it's good. Will check this out
 
Kyuuji

Kyuuji

The Favonius Fox
Member
Nov 8, 2017
33,888
Ok, interest is piqued again. I wasn't confident following the mess that was Men but seems this might have landed in some areas. I'd see it either way but yeh, these impressions are more interesting than I was expecting tbh.
 
ezekial45

ezekial45

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,203
Teusery said:
What? I hated the concept of this movie and what it is playing into. Then it turns out it is even just using that as a fun backdrop. I think I despise this.
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I can see why it would bother people, but I don't know, after seeing how the massacre in Gaza is going -- and how essential good journalism on the ground is -- I see this quote speaking to something that is very powerful.

It seems like this movie focuses on how people in America would react once the violence and bloodshed that they've grown numb to seeing in other countries finally hits home. I think that's an especially potent concept now, because it genuinely feels like America is about to crack open this year.

I feel like the "why" of how things happened in the movie Civil War isn't so much of an important question, because how America in reality got to its present situation is a very weird and complicated situation that not many people can agree on. But many can agree that something really horrible is gonna happen if America doesn't get its shit together.
 
Orayn

Orayn

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,233
Teusery said:
What? I hated the concept of this movie and what it is playing into. Then it turns out it is even just using that as a fun backdrop. I think I despise this.
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Same. It might be a good movie but I still do not like Alex Garland making up an apolitical fantasy civil war while whinging about how we're so divided now. It's a very hollow "this says a lot about our society" platitude that elides what the actual causes would be, i.e. conservatives want to do violence against anyone who isn't a white, cis, straight, Christian fellow conservative.
 
Rangerx

Rangerx

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,759
Dangleberry
Good to see,I love Garland. Annihilation is my favourite of his or maybe Dredd, which he essentially directed according to Karl Urban and a lot of crew who worked on the film. I actually really enjoyed the first half of Men as well but it definitely goes downhill in the second half.
 
BlackJace

BlackJace

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
5,678
Teusery said:
What? I hated the concept of this movie and what it is playing into. Then it turns out it is even just using that as a fun backdrop. I think I despise this.
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Orayn said:
Same. It might be a good movie but I still do not like Alex Garland making up an apolitical fantasy civil war while whinging about how we're so divided now. It's a very hollow "this says a lot about our society" platitude that elides what the actual causes would be, i.e. conservatives want to do violence against anyone who isn't a white, cis, straight, Christian fellow conservative.
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Sounds like y'all are the people that need to see this movie the most tbh. There's a million other outlets that will confirm your political bias for you; that this one strays from that isn't some grave sin.
 
Praxis

Praxis

Sausage Tycoon
Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,572
UK
Really looking forward to this but I have also been made aware on Twitter that a lot of people didn't like Annihilation... Those people can fuck right off
 
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