The harrowing true story of a US Navy Seal platoon surveillance mission gone dangerously wrong. A film by Ray Mendoza & Alex Garland, 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.
WARFARE
Ray Mendoza • Alex Garland
(2025)
On the quiet night of 19 November 2006, during the end of the Battle of Ramadi in Iraq, the OP-1 unit moves in. Led by Officer Erik (Will Poulter), the team includes JTAC communications officer Ray Mendoza (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), lead sniper Elliott Miller (Cosmo Jarvis), sniper Frank (Taylor John Smith), lieutenant Macdonald (Michael Gandolfini), sergeant Laerrus (Adain Bradley), lead petty officer Sam (Joseph Quinn), gunner Tommy (Kit Connor), and scouts Farid (Nathan Altai) and Noor (Donya Hussen). They stealthily breach and take control of a local house, setting up sniper positions to support a US Marines operation.
The Second Battle of Ramadi took place from March to November 2006 during the Iraq War, as U.S. and Iraqi forces fought to regain control of Ramadi, the capital of Al Anbar province, from insurgents. The battle involved intense urban combat, with coalition forces establishing numerous combat outposts throughout the city to isolate insurgents and engage with local populations. Insurgents used tactics such as chlorine bomb attacks, marking the first use of chemical weapons in the war. The battle was pivotal in sparking the Anbar Awakening, where Sunni tribal leaders united against al-Qaeda in Iraq, significantly weakening insurgent control. The fighting was costly, with at least 75 American soldiers killed and heavy casualties among insurgents. By mid-November 2006, U.S. forces had secured about 70% of the city, effectively diminishing al-Qaeda’s presence in Ramadi.
Upon discovering that the house has a wall on the second floor dividing it into two sections, each occupied by different families, Erik orders the team to break through the wall and take control of the entire house before establishing their sniper positions on the second floor.
The next day, Elliott maintains his position, watching the market across the street for any suspicious activity. He soon spots a man looking out from a second-floor window of the market building.
Tension increases when Frank observes a man wearing a head scarf and red-green jacket talking on his phone while repeatedly glancing toward the OP-1 position for the fourth time. OP-2 reports that two men in blue jeans and red shirts have also been checking out their position twice, indicating that something may be developing.
An announcement suddenly echoes through the area in Arabic, and civilians quickly abandon the market. Farid and Noor translate the broadcast for Erik, explaining it’s a call urging all Muslims to join jihad against American soldiers. Erik tells Farid and Noor to head back downstairs and keep the area secure.
With the streets now cleared and no visible activity, Elliott briefly leaves his position and asks Frank to cover for him. Frank then observes four MAMs (military-aged men) getting out of a blue car near the building. As they enter the structure, Frank notices one of them carrying a PKM Russian machine gun. Hesitating to engage, Frank misses the opportunity to stop the armed man.
PKM (Pulemyot Kalashnikova Modernizirovannyi / Модернизированный) is a general-purpose, belt-fed machine gun developed in the Soviet Union and introduced in 1969 as a lighter, improved version of the original PK machine gun.
Moments later, a grenade explodes in the room, injuring Elliott while Tommy and Frank suffer concussions from the blast. Continuous gunfire immediately follows, raking the house as Tommy and Mendoza return fire while the others crawl out of the room and regroup in the adjacent space. Sam conducts a blood sweep on Elliott and reports to Erik that they’ll need a CASEVAC for Elliott’s injuries.
A blood sweep is a quick and hands-on technique used in trauma care to find life-threatening bleeding that might not be immediately visible. During a blood sweep, the rescuer systematically runs their hands over the patient’s body—from the neck down through the arms, torso, groin, and legs—checking both front and back. After each sweep, they look at their hands for any signs of blood, which could indicate hidden or severe wounds. If blood is detected, the rescuer stops to control the bleeding, using methods like applying a tourniquet or packing the wound. This technique is especially important when the patient is unconscious or injuries are concealed by clothing. Performing a blood sweep quickly and thoroughly can save lives by identifying and addressing dangerous bleeding before it becomes fatal.
Erik, using his Alpha-One callsign, contacts Alpha-Two to inform them of the attack and Elliott’s condition, asking whether his team should move to their position or if OP-2 will come to them. Alpha-Two responds that they’re also under fire but will advance to the OP-1 position.
CASEVAC stands for Casualty Evacuation and refers to the urgent transportation of injured or critically ill individuals—military personnel or civilians—from a combat zone or emergency area to the nearest medical facility for treatment. Unlike a MEDEVAC (Medical Evacuation), which uses specially equipped vehicles or aircraft staffed with medical personnel providing care en route, CASEVAC typically involves non-specialized, non-dedicated vehicles or aircraft that may or may not have medical support during transport. CASEVAC is often conducted by the closest available unit or vehicle, including armed aircraft or ground vehicles, prioritizing speed to get the casualty to care as quickly as possible. Because CASEVAC assets are not necessarily marked or protected under the Geneva Convention, they can be armed and are considered legitimate military targets, unlike MEDEVACs which are unarmed and clearly marked for protection.
After being notified that a CASEVAC M2 Bradley will arrive in ten minutes, the team collects their weapons and detonates claymores as they move downstairs to prepare for the evacuation.
Erik outlines the breakout plan: McDonald and Laerrus will cover the families, Frank will deploy smoke when the Bradley arrives, the scouts will lead the way out followed by Tommy, Elliott, and Sam, while Erik brings up the rear with Ray. Once Elliott is loaded into the Bradley, everyone will return inside the building.
The M2 Bradley is an American infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) that has been in service since 1981. Manufactured by BAE Systems Land & Armaments, it is designed to transport a nine-man rifle squad while providing protection from small arms fire and delivering significant firepower to suppress and destroy enemy threats. The vehicle has a crew of three and can carry six fully equipped soldiers as passengers. It is equipped with a 25mm M242 chain gun, a coaxial 7.62mm M240C machine gun, and TOW anti-tank missiles capable of destroying armored targets, including main battle tanks.
Initially, everything proceeds according to Erik’s plan. As the Bradley approaches, Frank throws a smoke grenade that creates a thick cloud of cover. Farid and Noor move out first to secure the area. However, an unexpected threat emerges. As Elliott steps through the gate, an IED detonates, killing Farid and severely wounding both Elliott and Sam. The M2 Bradley also takes damage and suffers casualties, forcing it to withdraw. The team has no choice but to pull Elliott and Sam back inside the house.
An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than conventional military methods. It can be made from military or nonmilitary components, often using explosives like artillery shells combined with detonators, power sources, and triggers such as pressure plates, trip wires, or remote controls. IEDs are designed to destroy, incapacitate, harass, or distract military forces and civilians. They come in many forms, including roadside bombs, vehicle-borne bombs, or booby traps, and often contain shrapnel like nails or ball bearings to increase injury. Widely used by insurgents, terrorists, and guerrilla forces, IEDs have been a major threat in conflicts such as the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, causing a significant portion of casualties.
Ray calls for another CASEVAC, but the request remains pending due to the Bradley’s damage from the IED blast. With OP-1 anticipating a coordinated enemy assault involving multiple military-aged males potentially positioned on their rooftop, McDonald requests an immediate show of force to delay the enemy attack while they wait for OP-2 led by Jake (Charles Melton) to reach their position.
War films aren’t really my thing, and I usually steer clear of them, but when Alex Garland and A24 are involved, I have to make an exception.
Written and directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland, WARFARE draws from Mendoza’s real experiences as a U.S. Navy SEAL during the Iraq War. While the film takes its time building tension in the opening 25 minutes, it delivers an immersive experience through stunning cinematography, an outstanding cast, compelling storytelling, and exceptional sound design.
The result feels so authentic that you’re transported directly into the action alongside the characters. It’s almost documentary-like in its realism, with every detail crafted to feel as genuine as it gets.
WARFARE premiered at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago on 16 March 2025. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 11 April, by A24.
