One of the best and highest-rated war movies ever made (that, sadly, almost nobody saw in theaters) has now arrived on streaming. Stories set during war, whether that be World War II or more recent conflicts, often prove to be popular with audiences, but this modern example enamored both critics and audiences alike, landing a shared score of 93% on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.
Released back in March this year, Warfare is written and directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland and is based on U.S. Navy SEAL Mendoza’s own experiences during the Iraq War. Offering as realistic a depiction of the titular warfare as possible, the war movie features an all-star cast that includes D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as Mendoza, alongside Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, Joseph Quinn, and Charles Melton.
Produced by DNA Films and distributed by popular studio A24, Warfare is now streaming on HBO Max as of today, September 12, and you can check out the official synopsis below…
Written and directed by Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland (Civil War, 28 Days Later), Warfare embeds audiences with a platoon of American Navy SEALs on a surveillance mission gone wrong in insurgent territory. A visceral, boots-on-the-ground story of modern warfare and brotherhood, told like never before: in real time and based on the memory of the people who lived it.
Hopefully, ‘Warfare’ Will Now Cement Itself as a Modern War Movie Masterpiece
Warfare was met with critical acclaim upon release, with both critics and audiences alike drawn to the movie’s unflinching depiction of war and combat. The movie now stands at a “Certified Fresh” 93% from the former, alongside a “Verfiied Hot” 93% from the latter on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising the “superb filmmaking craft” and “unnerving power.” Audiences, meanwhile, concluded that “Warfare viscerally places you in the trenches with bone-crunching realism, honoring the soldier experience while simultaneously philosophizing on the impossibility of their sacrifice.”
MovieWeb’s own Julian Roman declared Warfare to be “A Visceral Cinematic Experience” and praised the war outing for being “bloody, brutal, and terrifying.”
“Dispel any preconceptions of righteous heroes fighting for a noble cause against a decidedly evil enemy. Warfare isn’t like the D-Day battle against the Nazis à la Saving Private Ryan. It’s even more savage and unsparing. Ray Mendoza, a former Navy SEAL and JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller), a soldier who directs military air support, collaborates with British filmmaker Alex Garland to tell the highly personal, true story of a bloody battle that nearly killed him and caused horrendous casualties to his dear comrades. It is a nuts-and-bolts account of ferocious combat, bloody, brutal, and terrifying. Warfare will absolutely floor you.”
So, while not nearly enough people saw Warfare in theaters (the movie grossed just $33.6 million at the worldwide box office), here’s hoping that the war movie will now find the audience it deserves on streaming courtesy of HBO Max.
Warfare
4
/5
- Release Date
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April 11, 2025
- Runtime
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96 minutes
- Producers
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Allon Reich, Andrew Macdonald, Matthew Penry-Davey
