Pieced together from memories of the people that were there, Warfare is a slightly different ‘war’ film than we’ve seen recently, but only because the concept is far more intriguing than the finished result.
Warfare depicts a Navy SEAL platoon during an encounter in Ramadi, Iraq, set in real time. During the events, a solider is injured and the platoon request a medical evacuation, but this results in an IED exploding. The fall out of the explosion is as visceral and bloody as you can imagine, there is no holding back, we hear, see and feel every reaction from each member of the platoon. As the battle ramps up, the situation only becomes more dangerous, there is a slight shift as the rest of the platoon arrive as backup but the barrage of pain and noise never lets up.
It's interesting to that these people’s memories are what brought this film together. What each member of the team remembered and what they saw. Stripped away from this being based on real events, this is a simple concept and the cast really are to be admired, in particular Cosmo Jarvis, Will Poulter, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (who plays co-director and co-writer Ray Mendoza) and though not long on screen, Charles Melton. The pacing and energy makes the film somewhat play out like a thriller in a warzone, and never lets up once the explosion happens.
However, there is the constant feeling that this is snapshot of a wider story, what fresh viewpoint is it bringing to the genre and overall subject. It’s hard to answer the question as well as who is this film for other than those who enjoy these stories and maybe those who were there when it happened (at least from the US side). As the credits roll, you’ll end up reflecting on who is the audience more so than the good performances and decent filmmaking.