Warfare is an unrelenting, pulse-pounding, and utterly harrowing experience—a sensory overload that throws you headfirst into the chaos of modern combat. This isn’t your typical war movie. It’s a visceral, nerve-shredding slice of life that follows a squad of special forces operatives through an absolutely hellish day in Iraq.
Written and directed by Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland (Civil War, 28 Days Later), Warfare embeds audiences with a platoon of American Navy SEALs stationed inside the home of an Iraqi family. Their mission? Overwatch the movement of U.S. forces through insurgent territory. What unfolds is a raw, real-time depiction of modern warfare, based on the firsthand memories of those who lived it. The film ditches Hollywood dramatization in favor of immersive, boots-on-the-ground storytelling—putting the viewer directly in the line of fire.
From the opening moments, the film refuses to hold your hand. There’s no neatly packaged exposition, no easing into the action—just raw, disorienting intensity. You feel the confusion, the stress, the sheer unpredictability of battle, mirroring the experience of soldiers in the field. This immersive approach is one of Warfare‘s greatest strengths, turning it into a horror movie where the terror is all too real. That authenticity comes in part from co-director Ray Mendoza, a Silver Star recipient and former Navy SEAL, who channels firsthand experience into every nerve-wracking frame.
Rather than bogging down in backstory, Warfare keeps things lean. The film briefly introduces its cast before throwing them into the fray, reinforcing the idea that in war, there’s no time for sentimentality. One of the most striking moments comes early on when the team takes over a makeshift base—displacing an innocent Iraqi family in the process. It’s a haunting reminder of the real-life collateral damage of war, offering the film’s only subtle nod to the broader politics of the 20-year Iraq conflict.
Mendoza and Garland dedicate the film to one of its characters, Elliott, with Mendoza expressing his hope that Warfare will help both veterans and civilians understand the unimaginable pressure placed on young servicemen. It succeeds masterfully. The film never glorifies violence, never makes war look thrilling—it makes it feel suffocating, brutal, and inescapable.
9/10—no wrestling moves, just pure, unflinching intensity.
Former pro wrestler and connoisseur of all storytelling. Love Batman, wrestling, movies, comics.