By Spencer De Tenley, Managing editor, and Kayla Ross, Multimedia Manager

Civil War, the latest project out of A24 studios, grasping a haunting tale of a hyper-realistic war-torn internal conflict and questionable photojournalism ethics.

Set in the near future, this film follows Lee Smith (Kiersten Dunst), a world-famous war photojournalist who is attempting to get to Charlottesville, Va. and Washington D.C. to document the atrocities of the ongoing war. En route to these destinations, she finds herself hesitantly protecting a much younger photojournalist, Jesse (Cailee Spaeny, star of Priscilla) and an older photojournalist, Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson).

Lee is extremely hesitant in allowing Jesse and Sammy to join the journey. Lee thinks that Jesse will be a liability and claims Sammy is too old to be in an active warzone. Through Lee’s comments, Sammy reminds Lee that she was younger than Jesse when she began her career. Begrudgingly Lee agrees and Jesse hops in their beat up vehicle labeled loudly with “PRESS.”

Along the way, Civil War depicts the atrocities and devastation of everyday life that would be disrupted by a second civil war. Gas stations become crucifixes, mall parking lots become crash sites, major interstates become battlefields and farms become mass burial grounds. The most disturbing part about these scenes was the destruction they depicted in an eerily familiar world. The gas stations and strip malls depicted looked precisely like those I’ve driven past in West Virginia and Ohio. I’ve seen the beauty of Washington D.C., and to see the sheer chaos and turmoil depicted in Civil War is not only disturbing but reminiscent of something like the horrors of the January 6 insurrection of 2021.

This movie also invites its viewers to consider the ethical dilemmas that photojournalists face. Lee, while attempting to disuade Jesse from her career path, reflects on traumatic events she’s not only witnessed but documented and circulated. Throughout the film the audience comes to ponder the press’s role in wartime alongside the main characters. Ethical implications are not only present when considering the press but also the government leadership.

Even though this movie has many lines that allude to a leader like Donald Trump, it is not necessarily a movie about the polarization of the two parties within American politics, but is more so about the potential for corruption of leaders within the government. As the movie progresses, the unrest and upheaval is quickly attributed to this government corruption.

There are two main opposing forces: the remnants of the United States military, and the Western Forces. The Western Forces have created a new American flag with only two stars left, representing California and Texas. In a seemingly unlikely move, Texas and California have united to fight against the current presidential regime of the United States, who has entered his third term. While political parties do not explicitly exist in this movie, it is implied that the president is a fascist.

This film is far more than an action movie about the “what-ifs” of a civil war in current America. Civil War is a stunning social commentary on where the deep-running political extremism we face now might lead us, if our current state spirals further and remains unchecked. .

Civil War depicts many moments of division that lead to death. In one scene, Joel (Wagner Moura) asks people which side they were fighting for. The two men respond saying, “He’s shooting so I’m shooting back. What’s Western Forces?” This scene was heartbreaking. It truly illustrated the irreversible division, fear and violence caused by the conflict while muddying the traditional “sides” present in a war. In its entirety, Civil War leaves audiences reimagining our society today and questioning what’s right and wrong. This movie definitely sends a poignant message and makes its audience consider what might happen if America’s political landscape increases its radical polarization.