Civil War Director Alex Garland and Iraq War Veteran Ray Mendoza Deliver an Unflinching War Thriller "Warfare" with D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Cosmo Jarvis, Will Poulter & Joseph Quinn - Watch the Trailer!

Alex Garland, the acclaimed screenwriter and filmmaker behind thought-provoking science-fiction thrillers like Ex Machina, Annihilation, and 28 Days Later, explored a fictional dystopian America earlier this year, posing the question: what if the country were experiencing a new "Civil War"? In his latest intense thriller, Garland collaborates with real-life Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza, as they share co-directing and co-writing credits together, to present a visceral portrayal of what war truly looks … and what war truly feels like. Hint: expect a lot of chaos and confusion, and ultimately bravery and courage.

Check out the first official trailer for Garland and Mendoza’s Warfare, featuring a stellar ensemble cast of young and rising actors including D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dogs), Will Poulter (Midsommar), Cosmo Jarvis (Shogun), Kit Connor (Heartstopper), Finn Bennett (True Detective: Night Country), Taylor John Smith (Where the Crawdads Sing), Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark), Adain Bradley (Tarot), Noah Centineo (To All the Boys films), Evan Holtzman (Hit Man), Henrique Zaga (The New Mutants), with Joseph Quinn (A Quiet Place: Day One) and Charles Melton (May December).

Inspired by Ray Mendoza's real-life combat experiences in the Iraq War, the film follows a platoon of young American Navy SEAL soldiers who are pushed to their limits when their unit is ambushed. Trapped in an Iraqi village during a routine search, the soldiers, now backed against a wall, realize they are being surrounded by insurgents. With no choice but to fight their way out, they must navigate through the chaos to reach safety.

Shot in real time, the film offers an unflinching look at modern-day warfare, particularly urban warfare where military operations are conducted in urban environments, such as cities or villages. The challenge here is that soldiers are always susceptible to close-quarters combat, while navigating the civilian population and dealing with the high risk of collateral damage.

From the looks of the trailer, the film appears to be the Iraq War equivalent of Ridley Scott’s classic military thriller Black Hawk Down. The intensity on display seems to be equally compelling. It’s hard to imagine that Black Hawk Down wasn’t a source of inspiration, particularly for the visual aesthetic, with its use of handheld cameras and tight close-ups.

Warfare marks the continuation of Garland's collaboration with A24 Films. The movie is set to be released in theaters sometime in 2025.

It's also worth noting that Garland's previous film, Civil War, was A24 Films' most expensive release to date, with an approximate budget of $50 million. Additionally, it became the studio's second most profitable film, grossing $68 million domestically and $126 million globally.