With several advance screening across the Nation, Warfare managed to build up a ton of positive buzz ahead of its April 11 release. But with the film now formally playing in theaters, and critics no longer enticed by the lure of early interviews and screenings, have opinions about the war film changed?
Well, if they've changed at all, the word of mouth surrounding the film has only grown more positive.
Warfare currently has a 94% approval rating, with an average score of 7.9 out of 10, from 124 reviews on the aggregate film review website, Rotten Tomatoes.
In their review, Bloomberg News wrote, "The result is a film that’s effective but hard to recommend. Is it well made? Incredibly. Is it strongly acted? Indeed... Should you rush to the theater? That depends. It will undoubtedly make you feel awful … but that’s also sort of the point."
NPR added, "A nerve-wracking jolt to the system, though one that is all but devoid of political context. The film's not really like most Hollywood war movies... Warfare is just warfare, calibrated as a cinematic show-of-force."
The Playlist praised the film's nonstop action: "Warfare may sharply communicate what it’s like to be under fire, and those looking for bruising action will be exhilarated by the electricity it generates."
The Rolling Stone also had high praise for the film, "The only agenda in Warfare, in other words, is to give you a sense of not just what happened but how everything felt while it was happening. A tall order, to be sure, but one that Garland, Mendoza, their cast and the crew pull off shockingly well."
RogerEbert.com was somewhat even in its praise of the film, citing its lack of plot. "Warfare is a viscerally impressive work. Your body feels it. But you may come away from it wondering what the larger point is, other than the fact that it happened to someone."
Developed and distributed by A24, Warfare hits North American theaters on April 11, 2025.
The film stars D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dogs), Will Poulter (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Cosmo Jarvis (Shōgun), Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things, The Fantastic Four: First Steps), Kit Connor (Heartstopper), Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark, Daredevil: Born Again), Noah Centineo (Black Adam), and Taylor John Smith (Sharp Objects).
Warfare Synopsis:
Written and directed by Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland (Civil War, 28 Days Later), Warfare embeds audiences with a platoon of American Navy SEALs in the home of an Iraqi family, overwatching the movement of US forces through insurgent territory. A visceral, boots-on-the-ground story of modern warfare, told like never before: in real time and based on the memory of the people who lived it.