Civil War

2024
R
1h 49m
Action, Adventure, Thriller

81%
70%
B-
7.1

A journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.

Official Website

Release Date

Apr 12, 2024 | Wide (Original Release)

Watch Trailer

Box Office

Results

Opening Weekend US & Canada:
$25,537,368
Total US & Canada:
$68,603,430
Total International
$53,149,692
Total Worldwide:
$121,753,122

Director & Top Cast

Alex Garland
Director

Kirsten Dunst
Lee

Wagner Moura
Joel

Cailee Spaeny
Jessie

Nick Offerman
President

Jefferson White
Dave

Nelson Lee

Tony

Evan Lai

Bohai

Stephen McKinley Henderson

Sammy

Vince Pisani

Concierge

Justin James Boykin

American Soldier (Middle East)

Jess Matney

Checkpoint Soldier

Greg Hill

Pete

Edmund Donovan

Eddie

Tim James

Hanging Captive

Simeon Freeman

Commercial Soldier Mike

James Yaegashi

Commercial Corporal

Dean Grimes

Commercial Soldier #1

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital,IMAX 6-Track,Dolby Atmos

Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: United States,United Kingdom

Language: English

Summaries

Plot Summary

In the near future of the mid 21st century, the United States has fallen into a Second Civil War, with Texas and California seceding and forming the Western Forces militia, and Florida creating its own alliance. The nation's authoritarian, three-term President (Nick Offerman) makes a speech over the WF taking a severe hit from the Loyalist states, calling it a major victory. Photojournalist Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst) watches the speech from her hotel room in New York City, while she sees a bombing occurring downtown.The following day, Lee joins her colleague Joel (Wagner Moura) as they go downtown in the middle of a protest. A younger journalist, Jessie Cullen (Cailee Spaeny), gets struck in the face in the middle of the chaos, and Lee goes to take care of her and give Jessie her fluorescent vest. Lee then notices a woman running into the crowd with an American flag and ducks for cover with Jessie, as the woman charges in and suicide-bombs the crowd. Once the noise has settled, Lee and Jessie take pictures of the aftermath.Lee and Joel later join their mentor Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) at a hotel party for other journalists. They are planning to drive through the country's war zones to make it to Washington DC for an interview with the President, even though he considers the press to be enemies. They know the trip is going to be dangerous, and despite his age and morbid obesity, Sammy insists he join them to go to the front lines in Charlottesville, Virginia. Jessie overhears and approaches Lee, as Jessie considers her to be her idol and wants to get pictures of the war as it is unfolding.The group gets ready to head out the next day, with Lee seeing Jessie joining them. She and Joel have a not-very-discreet conversation about both Jessie and Sammy being with them, but Joel assures her they will be no trouble. After driving for some time, they stop to fuel up, which they are only allowed to do in exchange for Canadian currency. One of the gunmen leads Jessie away, where Lee follows. He brings her to see two looters hanged by their wrists after being severely tortured. The gunman gives Lee and Jessie the option to give him the call to execute them. Lee just asks him to pose alongside the men for a picture before he kills them off-screen. When they hit the road, Jessie complains that she didn't capture a single photo.The group stops at an abandoned mall so that Jessie can take pics of a downed helicopter, while also apologizing to Lee about if she seems like a load to travel with, but Lee doesn't care. At night, they sit and watch the gunfire going on in the distance as it lights up the sky.Moving on, the four must pass through a sniper zone, staying alive while also getting the perfect shots. They witness as several men are shot in front of them. The group follows the allied militia gunmen up the building where they take the sniper out and capture the rest of his men.The four then arrive at a refugee camp. In the middle of relaxing and feeding themselves, Lee and Jessie continue to bond while Jessie develops photos that she took during the sniper hunt. Jessie brings up the start of Lee's career, where she got the perfect shot of an Antifa Massacre event. Lee tells Jessie that she took great photos. The group then spends the night in good company.Continuing their journey, the four stop in a town that appears unaffected by the ongoing war, as people are seen living peacefully. The group stops to change clothes, and Joel asks the shop owner if they are aware that there is a civil war going on across the country, but the woman tells Joel that the town is choosing to ignore it.Later on, the group sees that a car is speeding to catch up to them. Fearing the worst, they are surprised that it's Joel's reporter friends from Hong Kong, Tony (Nelson Lee) and Bohai (Evan Lai). Tony climbs in through the window of the group's van for fun, and Jessie does the same going into Tony's car with Bohai. They drive further up until the other journalists see that the other car has stopped with both doors open. They find themselves confronted by Loyalist gunmen who have been murdering people passing by and dumping them into shallow graves. The head gunman (Jesse Plemons) shoots Bohai and leaves the others quietly panicking. Joel tries to talk him down by saying they are Americans. When the gunman learns Tony is from Hong Kong, he shoots him too. Sammy then drives the van and kills the gunman and one of his guys before getting Lee, Joel, and Jessie back inside. One remaining gunman fires at them as they drive away.Escaping the gunmen, Jessie vomits in the back while Sammy tells Lee and Joel he can no longer drive because he's been shot. Joel takes over the car and drives until they make their way to a Western Forces military base in Charlottesville, driving through a burning forest. By the time they arrive at the camp, Sammy has already died from his wounds. The group meets with a British reporter named Anya (Sonoya Mizuno). It is said that some Loyalist generals have already surrendered, which makes all the trouble they went through, including losing Sammy, incredibly pointless.Lee, Joel, and Jessie join the WF as they make their way into Washington with intent to storm the White House and get their hands on the President. Once they enter the war zone, Jessie becomes as ready as ever to get her pictures, while Lee remains in shocked numbness to what's going on. The journalists take cover as the WF tanks mow through the remaining Loyalist forces before they make their way to the heavily guarded White House. The Secret Service appears to be taking the President with them, but the soldiers know it's a decoy.The group makes their way into the White House, where they are met by more armed Secret Service agents. Jessie nearly gets in the way, but Lee pushes her out and takes a bullet for her. Jessie ends up taking multiple pictures of Lee's final moments before she and Joel get into the Oval Office, where the WF soldiers hold the President down. Joel, filled with anger over losing his friends, then kneels to ask the President for a single quote. He begs Joel not to let the soldiers kill him, to which Joel responds with "That'll do." The President is executed, and Jessie gets a great shot of it.

Storyline

Civil War is a 2024 dystopian thriller film written and directed by Alex Garland. It follows a team of journalists traveling from New York City to Washington, D.C. during a civil war fought across the United States between an authoritarian federal government and several regional factions. — tpsimpleman In a divided America, the President is holed up in the White House, facing off against his people. Determined war photographer Lee Smith and her partner Joel, a seasoned Reuters journalist, set out on a perilous journey to reach Washington, D.C., in a race against time to interview the embattled leader. Sammy, a veteran journalist for The New York Times, joins them, and young, wide-eyed photographer Jessie from Missouri tags along. Together, they embark on a treacherous odyssey through hostile territory, witnessing the haunting aftermath of the conflict. As they inch closer to the barricaded head of state, the intrepid team confronts escalating violence that tests their resolve to capture the story no matter the cost. — Nick Riganas