Movies are meant to entertain an audience. However, when a film portrays the military, viewers who wear or have worn the uniform can easily spot inaccuracies and demand authenticity in addition to entertainment. Moreover, movies based on real-life events owe it to the people who took part in those events to provide an accurate account. With these requirements in mind, the cast and crew of Warfare understood the assignment and filmed one of the best accounts of combat.
Here are 4 reasons to see the movie when it is released by A24 on April 11, 2025:
1. The director was there
Lone Survivor and American Sniper are two movies based on accounts by Navy SEALs. While Marcus Luttrell was on hand to consult on the production of his account, Lone Survivor, the film was still written and directed by Peter Berg. In contrast, Warfare is written and directed by former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza. Foregoing the book that Green Berets tease SEALs for writing, Mendoza’s account of his Team’s actions in Iraq on November 16, 2006, is Warfare.
2. The other director is a pro
Navy SEALs can jump out of planes, run for days, and swim for miles. But can they write and direct a movie? While this is Mendoza’s first time in these roles, he is joined by the accomplished Alex Garland. Mendoza’s co-writer and co-director is no stranger to intense action films, with writing credits for 28 Days Later and Dredd. He also wrote and directed 2024’s Civil War on which Mendoza served as a military advisor. “Ray and I worked together very closely on the film Civil War,” Garland said in a Warfare trailer. “Probably about halfway through, we started talking about this film that Ray wanted to make.” With Mendoza’s memory serving as the source material for Warfare, the two teamed up to bring it to the big screen as accurately and faithfully as possible.
3. The cast took it seriously
With dedicated and experienced leadership at the helm of production, Warfare still needed a cast that was just as committed to their parts. “The entire cast and crew, including myself, felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility,” Garland said of the film’s attention to detail.
While actors like D’Pharaoh Miskwaatez McKay Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter and Charles Melton couldn’t possibly be expected to go through BUD/S in Coronado like the SEALs they portray, they did have to build the camaraderie and learn how to handle weapons in order to play their parts accurately. “This three-week boot camp really helped form this Navy SEAL culture leading up to filming,” Melton said of the preparation for Warfare.
Mendoza and Garland certainly communicated the gravity of Warfare‘s production to the cast. Poulter called the film “one of the most important, poignant things we’ll ever do.”
4. It’s a tribute to Mendoza’s Team and GWOT veterans
Many writers and directors have called their films passion projects, but Mendoza takes that to a whole new level with Warfare. “I did this for Elliott Miller,” Mendoza noted, referring to a fellow Team member who was severely wounded during the events depicted in the movie. “I have one opportunity to tell it right, do it right, and to honor the people [who] were there.”
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Outside of his Team, Mendoza made Warfare for other veterans who may not be able to share their experiences in combat. “Veterans who are wanting to talk to their loved ones and to say, ‘Hey, this was my experience’ or, ‘This is what I’m feeling… You’re the whole reason I made this film,” he said. With that level of seriousness and responsibility, Mendoza’s foray into writing and directing (with Garland at his side) is a promising one.
Warfare debuts in theaters April 11, 2025.