Breakers Roar

Civil War [2024]
Dir. Alex Garland
109 min.

Film

In the near future, a group of war journalists attempt to survive while reporting the truth as the United States stands on the brink of civil war.

It seems that author-turned-screenwriter-now-director Alex Garland has a lot on his mind at the moment. Already considered a notoriously paranoid filmmaker by trade, his increasingly sober brand of filmmaking communicates his persistent skepticism about who we are and where we might be headed. Which I suppose is just a nicer way of saying Garland’s films are unforgivingly bleak and depressing by design. Can you hardly blame him? The world we live in often feels like it's teetering on the precipice of an irreversible freefall. We’re in constant battle with one crisis after another – social and political crises, economic and environmental crises, health and technological crises – so basically every major category of cataclysmic crisis you can possibly think of. Though Garland wears his existential dread on his sleeves, his ongoing cinematic mission statement remains unchanged: to address such anxieties through genre-forward storytelling without ceding any artistic compromise. That alone puts him on the shortlist of must-see filmmakers working today.

Anticipated to be and marketed as one of the more grim and transgressive films set to release this year, Civil War represents a ultra-heightened level of concern about the state of the world (particularly the United States) from Garland, who seems to be even more unsettled than ever. His newest film is set in just an ever-so-slightly future but still very dystopian America amid a country-wide civil war between the former democratic-turned-authoritarian US government and various state-ish regional factions. While the battle lines have been drawn and the stakes are very real, the causes for conflict are left more or less undiscussed, aside from the introductory fact that the elected president (a deliberately against-type Nick Offermann) is in his third term. The film follows a group of mostly war-seasoned photojournalists, including Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, and Stephen McKinley Henderson, all of whom deliver subtle but believable performances. And there's a wickedly bone-chilling cameo from Jesse Plemons captures the insanities of war and a dark look at 'what kind of Americans' may in fact live in the fringe and forgotten corners of the country.

Civil War [2024]

Like so many expository details in Civil War, it is intentionally unclear exactly when this story takes place and for how long things have been this bad. In fact, the film has been caught in a crossfire since its release (well, really since its trailer debuted) about the dangerous nature of its political hedging and ideological fence-sitting. The fact that Civil War makes a point to not make a strictly political point that aligns with any one side has pissed a lot of people off, whether that be Democrats, Republicans, or film critics. While I understand that criticism, I do not agree with it. There's a difference between a film being political in its themes and storytelling choices compared to a film being explicitly partisan. What the film is about can be different from what audience members want to derive from it. Yes, this is obviously in some ways a cautionary tale, but it is also an immersive thought experiment, an abstraction of reality that is deceptively convincing and undeniably horrifying. Garland has gained the reputation of being a genre-fluid filmmaker who dabbles in science fiction, horror, and now with this film, action. But more than anything, he is a philosopher, and Civil War feels like the brainchild of someone who prioritizes snarling social commentary as much as they do cinematic thrills.

My biggest knock against Civil War is not its lack of contextual exposition or its anti-partisan, anti-side-taking agenda. Unlike his best films, Garland undermines his own pursuits when he turns provocation into a thesis rather than a means to an end. Civil War and Men, his last feature which was a hallucinatory folk horror film about misogyny and toxic masculinity, have a lot more in common than his two prior films, Ex Machina and Annihilation. As a writer/director, I get that impression that Garland is trying to take on new challenges and push his creative limits. I guess my concern is that while his prowess as a filmmaker continues to grow, his writing isn't as crisp or shrewd. While I thought Civil War was impressive to look at and experience in the theater, I felt like it excelled as a screenplay but had an underwhelming script. Does that make sense? The plotting and narrative jumps all more or less worked for me as a movie, but the interplay between characters and the thematic cohesion left me disappointed. Point being, I think it is admirable that he is growing as an artist, pushing the boundaries of what is expected of him, and leaning into being filmmaking provocateur. But just being provocative isn't enough, especially when it starts to feel like the style is more important than the substance.

Even still, I'd recommend seeking this movie out (especially in the theater if you can). It's amazing to think that this is an A24 movie, which has officially started its rebrand as a studio, moving away from its reputation as a small, independent company. As for Alex Garland, I sincerely hope he keeps making movies. When most movies feel safe, it's good to have those filmmakers who are willing to operate a bit dangerously.

Froth

First thing to know about Middle Brow Beer Co.: everything they do, they do well! The beer is great. The wine is great. The pizza is great. The vibe is great. The service is great. You get the picture. I'm going to diverge from talking about beer for a second and plug their once-a-week Tavern Tuesday pizza. It is in the conversation for best tavern-style pizza in Chicago, and I hate even sharing this because I don't want anyone else to know about it since it is already hard enough to get a reservation on a Tuesday night!! Okay, back to the beer. I was excited to try their Sabro Crush session IPA based on the description alone: "a little india pale ale. only sabro. pink and blue bubbalicious / coconut / tangerine cream. 4.5%. 12z." Doesn't that just sound incredible? The end-result was very good (and especially creamy), but I feel obligated to knock it a full half-point for the lack of bubbalicious flavor. Maybe I just missed it or maybe I was hypnotized by great pizza, but I was just hoping there would be a stronger hint of bubbalicious in the flavor profile. Oh well, Middle Brow Beer Co. is forgiven for being awesome. And please accept my apology for the rating knock and don't give away my reservation for the next Tavern Tuesday.