Civil War

Civil War Movie Introduction

Directed and written by Alex Garland, Civil War (2024) is a dystopian thriller starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno, and Nick Offerman. The movie centres on a group of war correspondents who are travelling from New York City to Washington, D.C. while secessionist factions and an oppressive federal government are engaged in a civil war. Interviewing the President is their goal before the rebels take over the nation’s capital.

In 2022, principal photography relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, and then to London. On March 14, 2024, the movie made its South by Southwest debut. On April 12, 2024, A24 and Entertainment Film Distributors distributed the movie in the United States and the United Kingdom, respectively. A24’s most costly picture to date, Civil War has a $50 million production budget. With a global box office total of nearly $121 million, it is now A24’s second highest-grossing movie. Critics have given it mostly positive reviews.

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Civil War Movie Storyline

The United States is plunged into a civil war, with an authoritarian president clashing against secessionist forces. Despite his claims of impending victory, it’s expected that the “Western Forces” (WF), led by Texas and California, will soon march on Washington, D.C. Veteran war photographer Lee Smith, journalist Joel, and their mentor Sammy plan to interview the isolated president after narrowly escaping a suicide bombing in New York City. Sammy reluctantly agrees to accompany them to the frontlines in Charlottesville, Virginia. Along the way, they’re joined by Jessie Cullen, an aspiring photojournalist Lee had encountered during the bombing.

On their journey, they stop at a gas station guarded by armed men. Jessie finds the men torturing suspected looters and Lee defuses the situation by photographing the scene. Jessie regrets not taking the photos herself.

As they continue, the group documents a successful attack by secessionist militias on a loyalist stronghold. Lee begins mentoring Jessie, who captures images of the secessionists executing prisoners. After spending a night at a refugee camp, they pass through a town where the residents seem oblivious to the ongoing war.

Caught in a sniper battle at a Christmas fair, Jessie’s skills and courage improve. She even asks Lee if he would photograph her death if it happened, to which he agrees.

The group later meets two foreign reporters, Tony and Bohai. Jessie and Tony switch vehicles, but Jessie and Bohai are soon held at gunpoint by militias burying civilians in a mass grave. Sammy sacrifices himself, ramming his truck into the militia to save the others but is fatally wounded.

Shaken, the remaining trio reaches the WF base in Charlottesville, where they learn most loyalists have surrendered, leaving Washington, D.C. mostly undefended, except for a few remaining loyalists. Joel, devastated by Sammy’s death, vents his anger, while Lee tries to console Jessie, suggesting Sammy would have wanted to die doing his job. Lee, unable to process Sammy’s death, deletes a photo of his body.

The trio joins the WF assault on D.C., where Jessie bravely captures photos, while Lee battles exhaustion. As the WF breaches the White House, the president’s limousine is intercepted, and its occupants are killed. Sensing an opportunity, the group sneaks into the White House with WF soldiers.

Inside the nearly empty White House, negotiations with the president’s remaining Secret Service agents devolve into gunfire. Jessie captures a photograph of Lee’s death, then witnesses soldiers dragging the president from hiding. As the soldiers prepare to execute him, Joel pauses to get a final statement from the president, who pleads, “Don’t let them kill me.” Satisfied, Joel lets the soldiers carry out the execution, and Jessie photographs the president’s body alongside the victorious WF soldiers.

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Box Office

• Budget
  • $50,000,000 (estimated)
• Gross US & Canada
  • $68,603,430
• Opening weekend US & Canada
  • $25,537,368
  • Apr 14, 2024
• Gross worldwide
  • $121,753,122

Technical Space

• Runtime1 hour 49 minutes
• Color
  • Color
• Sound mix
  • Dolby Digital
  • IMAX 6-Track
  • Dolby Atmos
• Aspect ratio
  • 1.85 : 1