Rotten Tomatoes critics give Warfare a 94% rating, calling it one of the most realistic combat depictions ever

Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza's Warfare is set to release next month, but we already have the reviews from its early premiere. Going by Rotten Tomatoes' ratings at the time of writing, the war action film is sitting fresh with 94% critic approval. Some even believe it to be the most realistic combat depiction of a battle ever, as Times' Kevin Maher notes.

The film features a cast of rising names in Hollywood at the moment, including Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Joseph Quinn, and more. Though the film is about this company that Mendoza was a part of during the Iraq War, it will focus more on Ray Mendoza, whom D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai is playing, and Elliot Miller (Jarvis).

Its plot (via IMDb) reads,

"Warfare' embeds audiences with a platoon of American Navy SEALs on a surveillance mission gone wrong in insurgent territory. A boots-on-the-ground story of modern warfare and brotherhood, told in real time and based on the memory of the people who lived it."

Garland and Mendoza have worked together on the former's 2024 film Civil War, starring Wagner Moura and Kirsten Dunst, which has an 81% score at Rotten Tomatoes, where the latter was the military supervisor of the movie.

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What else are critics saying about Warfare?

As of the writing, Rotten Tomatoes has aggregated 34 reviews and gives fans an idea of what they can expect from the Ray Mendoza film. Kyle Logan of the Chicago Reader emphasizes the depiction of a soldier's mental state in a situation like this. Certainly, it can be thrilling for the fans, but in real life battle can be harrowing.

Moreover, Warfare captures the intensity of a battle, as United Press International's Fred Topel notes in his review. The film is based on memories of Miller and Mendoza, and he believes this makes them as vivid as possible.

Mendoza wanted this story to happen for a long time, as Alex Garland told Empire magazine in one interview. Elliot, a fellow SEAL, had to go through a traumatic injury that affected his memory, so there's no input from him. To this, Mendoza says,

"Just the fact that a movie was being made about what happened was exciting, and it also acts as a voice for him."

While we don't know exactly where the original events took place in Iraq, they likely happened in Ramadi, as Mendoza’s available profile mentions it. He was honored with the Silver Star by the President after the events.

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Also Read: 10 War movies that are based on true events