Civil War: First reviews praise action and intensity of Alex Garland’s film

What’s so civil about war anyway? Well, nothing, but if we’re talking about Alex Garland’s new movie, Civil War, there is a lot of common ground to be found, as social media’s first reactions out of its SXSW premiere have heaped a ton of praise on the film, citing the sheer tensity, timely themes and a final act that isn’t to be missed.

Check out some of the reactions to Civil War below:

While only a small selection of professional reviews have landed, Civil War sits at a 78% on Rotten Tomatoes as of publication, a fine start overall for Garland’s fourth feature. While not initially landing like his debut, Ex Machina, or his outstanding follow-up Annihilation, it is an improvement over is previous effort, 2022’s Men. But right off the bat, it’s great to see that Civil War does look to be living up to the trailer, which immediately makes me more excited for it.

In Civil War, “19 states secede from the United States, with factions forming in the West and Florida. Meanwhile, the President says the conflict will be dealt with swiftly, but are things already impossible to control? While some choose to engage with the catastrophe head-on, others prefer to pretend like it’s not happening right outside their door. As the President sends the American military out to “resolve” matters in the West, people are left to despair as the world burns around them. Meanwhile, Kirsten Dunst’s character appears to be leading a team of journalists toward the U.S. Capitol, presumably to get answers about how they plan to quell the ongoing violence.”

With such prescient ideas that we won’t be able to help but find links to certain recent events in American history, such a film like Civil War will no doubt connect with its intended audience. Judging by the reactions out of its SXSW on Thursday night, this holds. Having not seen the film yet, it does seem as if Garland – a Brit – is not taking any direct sides in this A24 production, trusting his loyal fanbase.

Civil War is set to break into theaters on April 12th.

What do you think of the first reactions to Civil War? Are you more looking forward to it than before? Let us know!