After envisioning a bleak future in last year’s Civil War, director Alex Garland returns with an unsettling portrayal of a real-life conflict in his new film, Warfare. Set against the backdrop of the Iraq War in 2006, the movie serves as both a homage to the bravery of young Navy SEALs and a raw, uncompromising depiction of the chaos and savagery of warfare.

Co-authored and co-directed by Garland alongside Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza, Warfare kicks off with what appears to be a normal day for a SEAL team. The troops unwind by watching music videos before embarking on a mission to secure a site for another team. However, tranquility quickly disintegrates. An escalation of suspicious activities from local residents spirals into a brutal ambush. Grenades are thrown, bullets are fired, and when sniper Elliot (Cosmo Jarvis) is hit, the team led by Erik (Will Poulter) tries to come to his aid. Their rescue attempts are interrupted by an IED blast, leaving several injured while the rest scramble to stay alive as enemy forces encircle them and reinforcements are minutes away.

Warfare draws heavily from Mendoza’s own deployment experiences. By conducting interviews with fellow service members, he and Garland reconstructed the events from various viewpoints, crafting a gripping, immersive narrative that thrusts the audience right into the chaos. Despite the uniform nature of military attire, each character plays a unique role, and as the mission collapses, their distinct personalities come to the forefront.

Elliot, the bold sniper, becomes a central figure after enduring the first strike and a subsequent blast. A youthful Mendoza, portrayed by D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dogs), risks everything to rescue him. Though small in size and weighed down by cumbersome communication equipment, Mendoza emerges as a valiant and empathetic soldier. Erik, the team’s initially composed leader, is rattled by the devastation, shifting command to Jake (Charles Melton), who arrives with the first contingent of reinforcements. The remarkable cast also includes Taylor John Smith, Joseph Quinn, Noah Centineo, Michael Gandolfini, Kit Connor, and Evan Holtzman.

Mendoza, who had previously collaborated with Garland on staging battle sequences in Civil War, infuses Warfare with a careful authenticity. Cinematographer David J. Thompson’s camera glides seamlessly through the cramped, disorderly spaces, capturing the fear, pain, and determination evident on each soldier’s face. The film avoids glorifying war—instead, it immerses the audience in its unfiltered truth, emphasizing moments that often go unreported in mainstream news and official narratives.

Nevertheless, Warfare’s intense concentration on the immediate combat experience leaves little space for wider context. Like numerous war films that have come before it—from the romanticized Wings (1927) to the stark realism of All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), and the psychological intricacies explored in Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket—Warfare adheres to a long-standing cinematic lineage. Yet unlike those that engage with the politics or ethics of war, Warfare remains firmly within the moment.

This is a film that provides relentless action and emotional depth but refrains from examining the motivations behind the conflict or the repercussions for those caught in its aftermath. Iraqi civilians whose homes are ruined and interpreters who die alongside the SEALs receive scant narrative attention. The film’s “us versus them” framing, while possibly reflective of the soldiers’ mindset in the heat of battle, restricts its breadth.

At a concise 95 minutes, Warfare presents a tight, uncompromising portrayal of a singular traumatic event. Its dedication to realism is commendable, and its portrayal of injury and fear is brutally candid—so much so that it may act as an unintended counterpoint to military recruitment campaigns. While it provides a potent perspective on the cost of war for those who engage in it, it falls short of delivering deeper insight or critique.

The film concludes with behind-the-scenes footage featuring Garland, Mendoza, and the veterans who experienced the events, revisiting a meticulously constructed set. For them, this may serve as a form of healing. For audiences, however, Warfare provides little relief—only a harsh reminder that war is hell.

Warfare premieres in theaters nationwide on April 11.