Civil War: Inside the Bleak Future of Garland’s Divided States of America (2nd trailer).
Alex Garland is setting the stage for a trek across a dystopian America with his latest creation, the thriller-war-film-science-fiction movie Civil War. As reported by us peeps here at SFcrowsnest, the film is gearing up to plunge audiences into the midst of a Second American Civil War, a premise that might make one wonder, “Haven’t we had our fill of gloom?”
Starring the eclectic mix of Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Cailee Spaeny, Jesse Plemons, and Nick Offerman as none other than the President of the United States, the movie promises a journey not just across a fractured nation but into the heart of darkness itself. Well, metaphorically speaking, considering the current global mood, one could argue we’re already living a script Garland might have penned on an off day.
Civil War follows a valiant team of journalists as they navigate the perilous landscapes of a country torn asunder, between a dystopian government and the “Western Forces” separatists led by Texas and California. One can’t help but chuckle at the thought of Offerman leading the free world, his deadpan delivery possibly the only light in a sea of despair.
Scheduled for release on April 12, 2024, by A24 in the United States, Civil War is hailed as A24’s priciest venture yet with a $50 million budget. That’s a lot of beans, even in dystopian dollars. The film’s backdrop, a world where partisan militias are the norm and war crimes a daily headline, certainly paints a stark picture. However, knowing Garland’s penchant for depth and allegory, viewers might just find themselves peeling layers rather than merely witnessing explosions.
Garland, in a chat with The Daily Telegraph, described Civil War as a sci-fi allegory for our “currently polarized predicament,” a statement as loaded as the film’s premise. The ensemble cast, including Karl Glusman and Sonoya Mizuno, is set to bring this chilling narrative to life.
With principal photography kicking off in Atlanta before moving to London, one imagines the crew might have felt they were living the plot, albeit with better catering. As we gear up for this cinematic journey, it’s worth pondering whether Civil War will offer a mirror to our own societal divides or simply serve as another reminder that, yes, the world is a bit of a mess. But with Garland at the helm and a cast that could make reading the phone book engaging, this might just be the dark, thought-provoking escapade we didn’t know we needed. Let’s face it, in a world teetering on the edge of reality and fiction, a little dark humor might just be the light we’re looking for. Or, maybe not.
