I’m not going to lie. I was a little nervous about Civil War. After years of hearing that “this is where we’re headed” and “everyone knows which side would win” and blah blah blah, scary, scary, scary, I was afraid this might be a bit exploitative. The timing just seemed off to be making a fantasy, action movie out of something that felt so possible. Why make a movie about us being divided when we’re more divided than ever? Well, see? That’s kind of the point. Civil War is not only tense, scary, and incredibly smart. It’s also the exact movie we need right now.
First off, I think the way this movie went about portraying a future Civil War was brilliant. Saying it’s apolitical seems kind of ridiculous, because it’s a movie about a Civil War, of course it’s political. But, the politics are very much pushed to the background. We never really learn why the country is at war. We don’t know what any of the troops are fighting for. But, that’s not the point of the movie. It’s not interesting in picking sides. I think picking California and Texas as the rebellious states was very intentional. Choose a super conservative one and a super liberal one, so that way no one is really picking sides. Hell, it doesn’t want you rooting for anyone. It just wants you to sit in the horror of this situation. It’s about feeling the dread of this country going to shit. It’s about getting that chill down your spine as iconic landmarks are destroyed left and right. It’s the horror of seeing American citizens gunned down by their own government. By putting the focus on journalists instead of soldiers, the message here is very clear: don’t let it get to this. Because no one wins in this situation. If you have any love for your country or just civilization in general, this should absolutely be a last resort. And, in a world where it seems like half the country is actively rooting for something like this, that message feels extremely important.
But, since the world of the movie is already there, let’s talk about the actual conflict because this movie is tense! There were so many scenes where I was on the edge of my seat, dreading what was going to happen next. You never feel like any of the characters are safe, because they are civilians in the middle of a warzone. There are sequences where you’re literally just sitting around waiting for one of them to be shot. And don’t get me started on that hostage situation prominently featured in the trailers. That scene will probably stick with me forever. The suspense is through the roof. Then, when action does occur, it’s often extremely violent and terrifyingly brutal. All, again, to send the message of “let’s not.”
So, yeah, I definitely recommend Civil War. It’s a great thriller with a very important message that hits hard. Actually, you know what? I would go as far as to call it a horror film. Because, god damn, some of this imagery will stick with me more than even the scariest of movies. So, yeah, go check it out. Get scarred. And, then maybe, just maybe let’s prevent this from becoming a reality.
Score: 8/10
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