Civil War trailer: Alex Garland’s next epic enters the war zone of a nation divided among itself

Last Updated on December 29, 2023

Alex Garland, the director of Ex Machina, Annihilation, Men, and Devs, is back with what could be his most intense film to date. Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Cailee Spaeny, Nick Offerman, Karl Glusman, Sonoya Mizuno, Jonica T. Gibbs, Jess Matney, and Jesse Plemons star as primary cast members in Garland’s latest epic, Civil War, about a nation divided and collapsing in on itself. Today, A24 debuted a Civil War trailer that hits a little too close to home when the United States feels about reaching its boiling point.

In today’s Civil War trailer, 19 states have seceded 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.

The Civil War trailer concludes with a chilling standoff between Wagner Moura’s character and an armed soldier played by Jesse Plemons. During the confrontation, we hear Moura’s character say, “There’s been a misunderstanding, we are American.” To which Plemons’ character chillingly replies, “Ok, what kind of American are you?” The scene is positively chilling as the bleak scenario feels all too real.

I find the darkness in Garland’s Civil War trailer challenging to shake. If movies about the COVID-19 pandemic hit too close to home, this film will undoubtedly unnerve people nervous about the escalating tension in the United States. What do you think about Alex Garland’s Civil War trailer? Are you prepared to follow Dunst and her companions into the warzone to examine the conflict at its core? Let us know in the comments section below, and while you’re there, tell us what your favorite Alex Garland project is.