Warfare is one of the most impressive ensemble war movies in years, and the character-driven tale is based on a true story. Filmmaker Alex Garland (Civil War, Ex Machina) joined forces with co-director Ray Mendoza, a former Navy SEAL and military advisor for projects like The Terminal List, Jurᴀssic World, and more. Garland’s directorial expertise and Mendoza’s real-life war experience combine for a thrilling ride, with A24’s Warfare receiving solid reviews, praising the movie’s sense of immersion and powerful tension.
Warfare from Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland is currently playing in theaters. The film’s cast includes D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dogs), Will Poulter (Guardians of the Galaxy 3), Cosmo Jarvis (Shogun), Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things), Charles Melton (Riverdale), and more. It boasts one of the most impressive war movie ensembles we’ve ever seen, ᴀssembling some of the brightest young stars in Hollywood for a gut-wrenching story to rival the likes of Blackhawk Down and Zero Dark Thirty, both of which are based on similarly recent stories.
Warfare Is Based On A True Story The Director Experienced
Warfare Takes Place During The Battle Of Ramadi
As mentioned, Ray Mendoza has contributed his military experience to provide additional knowledge to films and TV shows for over a decade, but this is the first case where he offered his own story. Aside from co-directing the project, he also co-wrote the screenplay with Garland. The script covers Mendoza’s experience in 2006 when his group of Navy SEALS was sent on a mission into an al-Qaeda-controlled region of Iraq. What was intended to be a surveillance mission turned into a brutal fight for survival.
Navy SEAL Elliot Smith, who’s played by Cosmo Jarvis in the film, suffered brutal injuries from explosives and, though he miraculously survived the encounter, was left without memories of what transpired. Mendoza’s desire to write Warfare stemmed from the desire to fill in Smith’s memory gaps on everything that happened, so the film was designed to be as accurate as possible. The movie’s cast was even trained at a boot camp like Navy SEALS for more authentic portrayals, and the language used is specifically packed with military jargon, pulling no punches with its dedication to realism.
The Details Of Warfare’s True Story Is Not Widely Known
Ray Mendoza’s Tale Isn’t Well-Documented
Unlike the stories of Zero Dark Thirty or Black Hawk Down, which have become notable due to their relevance to major geopolitical events, Warfare’s true story isn’t one that’s widely recognized. There’s an infinite pool of storytelling to come from soldiers, and a critical aspect of this film is that, unlike movies that cover major historical battles or commonly documented war heroes, Warfare is focused on unsung heroes and raw, realistic experiences, hence the underwhelming film тιтle. The flipside of Warfare’s true story being not widely known is that there isn’t much information we can use to fact-check.
We have to ᴀssume it was dramatized to some extent for the purpose of making an entertaining work of art.
Given that Ray Mendoza worked with a co-writer and director in Alex Garland, we have to ᴀssume it was dramatized to some extent for the purpose of making an entertaining work of art. That said, it’s also fair to have faith that Mendoza wanted the story to be as close to his and his team’s memories as possible, as this was the initial purpose of the film. First-hand experience directly involved in the film’s writing and directing is challenging to argue against, though perhaps the film will bring out more information about the actual events.
Warfare’s Real-Life Inspiration Benefits The Movie
Warfare Thrives In Its Visceral Military Action
If you’ve seen Civil War, you know Alex Garland is focused on authenticity in his action sequences, and Mendoza helped with the stunt work on that project as well. Even with the brutal tension that the film’s realism provides in mind, Warfare takes matters up a notch. This isn’t a generic war movie inspired by a screenwriter’s perception of what might have happened; it’s the real deal. Ray Mendoza brings not only expertise in the warfare aspects of the story but also the heart and humanity that make it what it is.
There are some phenomenal war movies in cinema history, but the naturalistic elements of Warfare are unrivaled. It may not be as sprawling and epic as Saving Private Ryan or Apocalypse Now, but the realistic stuntwork and language are factors that contribute to a more direct affinity to the film’s characters. It’s a far more visceral experience, especially when seen in theaters, truly capturing the gruesome and horrifying nature of war.
