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‘Civil War’ is not a dystopian film, although it portrays a situation that has not happened and has a strong element of future reflection, a “What if…?” that places us in a hypothetical future war that divides the United States. Likewise, its director and screenwriter is Alex Garland, creator of modern classics of the genre such as ‘Ex Machina’, ‘Annihilation’ or ‘Devs’, but ‘Civil War’ is not a science fiction film either.
However, and despite being in that strange no man’s land, the film has arrived at a particularly sensitive time for the public, both at the local level (the imminent presidential elections guarantee a fracture in American society such as has not been seen before) as international (the recent Israeli-Palestinian conflict is making us witness daily terrible images of death and destruction devoid of any epic, and which reverberate in the terrible imagery of ‘Civil War’). The result is an unusual box office success for a relatively modest film like this.
Because ‘Civil War’ has debuted with 25.7 million dollars in collection in its first weekend, becoming the biggest R-rated premiere so far this year. There were very generous projections, of 15 to 20 million in grosses, but IMAX has done its usual push effect and has led the film to gross more than expected. As a curiosity, expectations have been exceeded in markets such as Los Angeles or Texas, curiously some of the “secessionist” states in the film.
‘Civil War’ narrates, without voluntarily going into too many details, a war between two sides formed within the United States: some secessionists and others loyal to the government. The conflict has reached the limit of putting the White House in check, and at this point in this civil war we follow a group of journalists who want to interview the president: among them is a legendary war photographer (Kirsten Dunst) and a very young colleague who wants to follow in his footsteps.
More than the conflict or its context (‘Civil War’ is not a supporter of anyone in a war that we don’t even fully understand), The important thing about this clash is the people who are putting their lives at stake. and, above all, those who are committed to reporting it. A superb use of sound design and editing round out a product that has helped the production company A24 take its first steps into large productions. Given the collection and if the international career continues to rise, we may be facing the birth of a very interesting medium-budget film production company.
A24 began its activity just ten years ago, but they already have a few milestones behind them. A couple of years ago it was the big winner at the Oscars, with ‘Everything at once everywhere’ and ‘The whale’, being the first studio to win in all the main categories and the first to also win all the film categories. actors. A24 has developed a very personal indie career, without being averse to genre cinema (especially horror), since its international launch was with Ari Aster’s films: ‘Hereditary’, ‘Midsommar’ and ‘Beau is afraid’.
‘Civil War’ is the latest film from a director who is already part of his powerful team of creators, since ‘Ex Machina’, his first feature film, was distributed internationally by A24 before the company began producing its own films . Currently, he also has the hilarious ‘Fire on the Lips’, Rose Glass’ second film, on the bill, for which A24 also produced ‘Saint Maud’. But ‘Civil War’, without a doubt, is a turning point for A24 since Garland’s film has had the best opening weekend in the entire history of the production company.
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In Xataka | Inside the mind of Alex Garland, the innovator of modern science fiction thanks to works like ‘Devs’ or ‘Ex-Machina’
