Civil War is a 2024 dystopian thriller film written and directed by Alex Garland, starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno, and Nick Offerman. The plot follows a team of war journalists traveling from New Jersey to Washington, D.C. during a civil war fought across the United States between a despotic federal government and secessionist movements, to interview the President before rebels take the capital city.
Production:
- Principal photography began in Atlanta, Georgia in 2022, with production moving to London later in the year.
- Premiere and Release: Civil War premiered at South by Southwest on March 14, 2024, and was theatrically released in the United States by A24 and in the United Kingdom by Entertainment Film Distributors on April 12, 2024.
- Budget and Box Office: With a budget of $50 million, Civil War is A24’s most expensive film to date. The film has grossed over $122 million worldwide, becoming A24’s second-highest-grossing film, and received generally positive reviews from critics.
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Plot Summary: A civil war has engulfed the United States. An authoritarian federal government, led by a third-term president, is embattled by secessionist movements. Despite the president claiming victory is imminent, it is widely expected that Washington, D.C. will be reached by the “Western Forces” (WF) led by Texas and California. After surviving a suicide bombing in New Jersey, jaded veteran war photographer Lee Smith and journalist colleague Joel meet with their mentor Sammy to share their plan to interview the isolated president. They are joined by aspiring photojournalist Jessie Cullen. The group documents combat, suffering, and resistance on their perilous journey to the capital. As they embed themselves with the WF assault on D.C., the final confrontation leads to significant losses and a dramatic end.
Cast:
- Kirsten Dunst as Lee Smith
- Wagner Moura as Joel
- Cailee Spaeny as Jessie Collin
- Stephen McKinley Henderson as Sammy
- Sonoya Mizuno as Anya
- Jefferson White as Dave
- Nelson Lee as Tony
- Karl Glusman as a spotter
- Jin Ha as a sniper
- Juani Feliz as Joy Butler
- Jonica T. Gibbs as a Western Forces sergeant
- James Yaegashi as a secessionist corporal
- Evan Lai as Bohai
- Greg Hill as Pete
- Edmund Donovan as Eddie
- Nick Offerman as the President of the United States
- Jesse Plemons in an uncredited role as a racist ultranationalist militant
Production Notes:
- Development and Casting: Alex Garland signed on to write and direct the film for A24 with DNA Films co-producing. Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Cailee Spaeny were confirmed to star.
- Filming: Principal photography began in Atlanta on March 15, 2022, under the code name Road Trip. By May, production had moved to London. The film was shot partially on the DJI Ronin 4D camera.
- Post-production: Film editor Jake Roberts and sound editor Glenn Freemantle re-teamed with Alex Garland, as did VFX supervisor David Simpson with Framestore.
Release:
- Premiere: Civil War had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 14, 2024, with favorable reactions from the audience and positive reviews from critics.
- Box Office Performance: As of June 27, 2024, Civil War has grossed $68.6 million in the United States and Canada and $54 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $122.6 million. The film had a strong opening weekend, surpassing Hereditary as the biggest opening weekend in A24’s history and becoming the studio’s first film to top the box office.
- Performance Outside North America: The film performed well in several markets outside the United States, including the United Kingdom, Brazil, Spain, Belgium, Finland, and Portugal.
Critical Reception:
- Positive Reviews: Critics praised the film for its intense depiction of dystopian themes, the strong performance by Kirsten Dunst, and Garland’s direction.
- Mixed to Negative Reviews: Some critics felt the film’s narrative and character development were lacking, while others criticized it for its political themes and portrayal of violence.
- Rotten Tomatoes: 81% positive reviews with an average rating of 7.5/10.
- Metacritic: A score of 75 out of 100, indicating “generally favorable” reviews.
- CinemaScore: An average grade of “B–”.
Marketing and AI Controversy:
- AI-generated Images: A24 promoted the film on Instagram with AI-generated images of postapocalyptic American cities, which were criticized for inaccuracies and sparking controversy over the use of AI in marketing.
Civil War
Overall, Civil War is a gripping dystopian thriller that explores themes of conflict, journalism, and the human cost of war, set against a backdrop of a fractured United States.
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