Civil War (2024) – 4K Ultra HD Review

Civil War2024.

Directed by: Alex Garland.
With Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno and Nick Offerman.

SUMMARY:

Alex Garland’s shocking film Civil War is released in 4K Ultra HD in an edition that also includes a Blu-ray and a code for a digital copy. There is only one bonus feature, but it is a solid making-of that lasts nearly an hour, so I felt like I had had the full experience when it was over. Highly recommended, even as a blind buy.

Civil War is one of those movies that, after watching it, I needed some time to process it. Could something like this happen in the United States in my lifetime? I never thought it was possible, but after the events of January 6, 2021, I now believe it could happen. I’m not sure, but I think it’s possible.

Writer and director Alex Garland made a smart choice by showing the events of the film through a group of journalists. We get explanations without feeling like the characters are just explaining things.

I also liked Garland’s decision to start the film en medias res: this civil war is not only underway, but is also about to end. And we don’t learn how and why it started. Moreover, we don’t know the political orientation of the President of the United States (Nick Offerman) or the various factions fighting to overthrow the country, so the viewer is free to interpret the story as he or she sees fit.

The main character is Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst), a photojournalist who has successfully photographed many violent conflicts and is obviously a little tired of her job. Her partner is Joel (Wagner Moura), a reporter who wants to get to Washington DC before the separatist groups do, in order to get one last interview with the president.

As the story begins, Lee meets Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), an aspiring photographer who takes her under her wing to pass on her knowledge and wisdom. Another experienced news anchor, Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), accompanies the group on the arduous journey to the capital, hoping he can offer some advice of his own.

On the way to their destination, the group encounters the crazy, inexplicable situations that wars bring. At one stop, they meet two soldiers dealing with a sniper in a nearby house. At another, they encounter a militia burying bodies who are suspicious of the group. And so on.

Even the end is chaos. There are no “good guys” and “bad guys,” just opposing groups trying to achieve their goals, with some civilians losing their lives in the process. That’s the reality of pretty much every war, and the realism here is impressive.

I don’t want to give anything away, but as I said at the beginning of this review, I just had to spend some time processing what I had just seen as the credits rolled. I’m not sure I agreed with the fate of any of the characters, but other than that, Civil War had my attention from start to finish.

This home video release includes the film on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray discs, as well as a code for a digital copy. Considering its recent age, it looks great on both discs, and the presentation is probably very close to the theatrical experience.

The only extra is the 56-minute Torn Apart: Alex Garlands Civil Warwhich is divided into six parts with a “play all” option. I would have liked to have seen more about the making of the film, perhaps with commentary from historians who have studied various civil wars throughout history, but what you find here is a comprehensive timeline of the film’s production.

Garland, the cast and crew share their thoughts as Torn works its way through the film from start to finish, which makes sense since it was shot in order. It’s a solid making-of, but I hope future home video editions offer more extras, especially some insight into how this cinematic civil war compares to real civil wars.

Assessment of the flickering myth – Movies: ★★★★ / Movie: ★★★★

Brad Cook

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