I’ve been thinking about “Warfare” for the last few months. The war movie hit theaters back in April (during the period when “Sinners” was ruling the multiplex), and even all these weeks later, I’m still reflecting on its no-holds-barred approach to displaying the intensity and sheer terror of modern combat. It’s a real gem not just in 2025, but in the whole war genre. This week, "Warfare" arrives on HBO Max and instantly becomes one of the streaming service's best new additions of the year.
Co-directed by “Civil War” helmer Alex Garland, alongside Ray Mendoza, a veteran of the Iraq War, and formulated from the memories of Ray’s fellow soldier who served on the frontline, “Warfare” appears to be one of the most authentic war movies ever made. Even as a civilian, after watching it for the first time, I felt like I’d just been in the heat of battle alongside its cast of soldiers, who face traumatic situations with steely determination.
There’s so much to admire about this masterfully crafted movie, from its unflinching portrayal of war injuries, its deep commitment to accurately showing the realities of modern combat, and, I must mention, its truly incredible audio (one mid-movie explosion had my ears actually ringing and my heart-rate spiking). However, even now, the thing that stands out to me the most, even after reflecting on the flick for several months, is the fact that it’s all set in real-time. This technical decision elevates every aspect of “Warfare” and makes it one of the best war movies I've seen.
In “Warfare,” you feel each second tick by
After a brief opening sequence, which sees the movie’s cast of U.S. Navy SEALs enjoying a raunchy music video in their army base, “Warfare” switches gears to show the same group capturing an enemy house under the cover of darkness. This claustrophobic home is to be a lookout spot.
The next morning rolls around, and from here, “Warfare” takes place entirely in real-time. A minute in the movie’s world means one minute of the runtime has elapsed. There are no cutaways, flashbacks, or time skips. As viewers, we stay with Alpha One Platoon squad for every second as they face a devastating day, where brothers are lost and enemies circle.
Take, for example, a scene where one of the soldiers calls in an urgent extraction and is told a vehicle is six minutes out. In many war movies, the wait would be sped up for the sake of convenience — not in “Warfare.” The characters endure every second of the torturous six-minute wait. It feels long for us viewers at home. I can only imagine how desperate that wait must have felt for the real-life soldiers fighting for their lives on foreign soil.
This decision to set “Warfare” in real-time adds a remarkable amount of tension to almost every scene. It even made me feel real anxiety on occasions, and I mean that entirely as a compliment. It’s all part of what makes “Warfare” appear to be an accurate snapshot into the experience of real-life soldiers, and its impact on the movie is extremely significant.
And that’s just one reason to watch “Warfare”
“Warfare’s” real-time approach to storytelling is just one of several reasons it ranks within my top five favorite movies of 2025. Its expert pacing is another. Clocking in at 95 minutes, it doesn’t give you a moment of rest, and outside the aforementioned opening, it keeps the adrenaline levels high throughout. This would have been exhausting in a longer movie, but at just over an hour and a half, its length is perfect for its ambitions.
The story is intentionally minimalistic; there are no lengthy dialogue scenes where character reveal their backstories or hidden motivations. Instead, we are just shown a (tough) day in the life of a group of soldiers.
Some viewers may find the lack of a narrative hook disappointing, but I’d argue it’s very deliberate to the point that “Warfare” is making. The same is true of the lack of a big dramatic moment, or a sequence where one character bunkered down for an action hero-style last stand. This isn’t that sort of movie.
Credit to Garland and Mandoza for creating a war movie that functions as such an uncompromising look at conflict (at least according to actual military personnel, who have offered their perspective on the movie).
As the credits roll, we see shots of the soldiers the movie is based on (many of whom are anonymized), as well as Mendoza showing the cast, which includes Will Poulter and Charles Melton, actual military instructions and strategies on the movie's set. It’s a fascinating insight into just how much care was put into “Warfare,” and it shows on screen.
Watch "Warfare" on HBO Max now
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