Warfare – Review

Warfare is a rough, rugged and ugly look at war, featuring a Navy Seal platoon supporting marines on November 19, 2006 in Ramadi, Iraq. It is a telling of the event per the memories of the real-life men involved (including one who became one of this film’s writers and directors). The squad readies themselves for deployment, mostly by vibing to a sexy ass music video for “Eric Prydz – Call on Me,” which showcases smoking hot women thrusting in tight aerobic outfits. This is the end of the good times.

In the middle of the night, the men move out through dark Iraqi streets. They find a two-story house they like for positioning, and decide to take it. They slip inside, and remove sleeping citizens from their beds, promising no harm and asking questions.

The soldiers setup inside and when the morning breaks, they begin to surveil their surroundings. Leading Officer in Charge Captain Erik (Poulter) monitors intelligence, while Joint Terminal Attack Controller Ray Mendoza (Woon-A-Tai) communicates with air support as he watches their sky camera feeds. Sniper Elliott Miller (Jarvis) spots some possible enemy forces watching their position. Then… all is lost to the non-stop chaos of war.

Most everything about this feature looks and feels authentic. Squad tactics, gear, explosions, gunfire, dialogue, tense situations and life-threatening moments are all expertly presented. The actors are all fantastic, showing the harrowing realities and results of war through their emotions and reactions.

The directing puts the viewer directly in the middle of the utter insanity. It is hard not to get caught up in the drama and tension, and sometimes you need to remind yourself to breathe. There is no glory or justification of fighting showcased here, only survival. Warfare presents an intense reflection of the horrors of battle.