‘Warfare’ Trailer Reveals Alex Garland’s Intense New A24 Thriller

The first trailer for A24’s upcoming film Warfare has been released, providing an intense and violent look at the project. The film, written and directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland, is a unique collaboration between the two creators. Mendoza, who was a military advisor for Garland’s previous film Civil War, co-wrote the project based on his own experiences as well as the memory of those who also lived through it. 2025 is shaping up to be a landmark year for Garland who, aside from assisting on writing and directing duties for Warfare, is also behind the screenplay for 28 Years Later, which reunites him with his previous collaborator Danny Boyle.

Warfare features an impressive ensemble cast, starring D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, Taylor John Smith, Michael Gandolfini, Adain Bradley, Noah Centineo, Evan Holtzman, Henrique Zaga, Joseph Quinn, and Charles Melton. The trailer depicts the Iraq War in 2006 through the eyes of a group of U.S. Soldiers who are stationed in the home of a family before suddenly getting attacked. It’s easy to see Mendoza’s sharp eye for visceral and grounded action in the trailer, with the scenes showcased feeling incredibly similar to the third, explosive act of Garland’s Civil War earlier this year.

Garland’s co-directing credit on Warfare may be his last for a while, as the director previously mentioned before the release of Civil War that he plans to take a break from directing and focus solely on writing. Still, while the Ex Machina director may want to step back from that specific role, it’s clear that he has a knack for creatively fulfilling and exciting partnerships with other artists.

‘Warfare’ Showcases Alex Garland’s Eye for Powerful Collaborations

Between the true-story narrative of Warfare, which highlights the real struggles of its co-director, and the long-gestating zombie sequel 28 Years Later, whose trailer has the internet buzzing, Garland has displayed an impressive eye for collaboration with different writers and directors alike. What makes Warfare stand out the most is the real-time narrative device, something which will help ratchet up the tension and stakes while also emphasizing the real-life experience of U.S. Soldiers.

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Moreover, Warfare looks to be a continuation of the thematic and stylistic elements introduced in Civil War by Garland. Given A24’s recent line of releases, Warfare looks to be a similar break from convention that Civil War was in March, in that it is an action-oriented film with (more than likely) a higher budget than the usual A24 outing. The distributor/production company is continuing to grow its diverse catalog of titles, and Warfare is no exception.

While Garland himself has said he was acting in more of a supportive role to Mendoza than anything else, it will nonetheless be exciting to watch one more project with him in the directors’ chair before he shifts focus back to writing. Hopefully Ray Mendoza has an exciting directorial career ahead of him following this debut film. With his history of advising on numerous productions, viewers can at least expect some terrifyingly accurate warfare.

Warfare hits theaters in 2025.

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