Warfare: release date, reviews, trailer, cast, plot and everything we know
Alex Garland co-directs the war movie with an Iraq War veteran.

Having a movie "based on a true story” is standard practice in Hollywood, but I don’t know if I can ever recall a movie saying that it is "based on the memory of the people who lived it" before. That’s how A24 is teasing their 2025 new movie, Warfare, a war story that was co-written and co-directed by an Iraq War veteran, alongside noted filmmaker Alex Garland.
A24 has become one of the most popular labels in Hollywood these days. Warfare is just one of many movies that A24 has planned for 2025, including Parthenope, The Legend of Ochi, The Smashing Machine and more.
In this post though, we have everything you need to know about their new movie Warfare. Read on for all the details we have so far.
Warfare release date
Warfare is now playing exclusively in movie theaters in the US. Here's how to watch Warfare.
The movie premieres in the UK on April 18.
Warfare cast
As Warfare is set to follow an American Navy SEALs platoon, it has gathered a large ensemble of actors to make up the unit, filled with a number of recognizable and newer names. Take a look at the official Warfare cast list right here:
- D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dogs)
- Will Poulter (Dopesick)
- Cosmo Jarvis (Shogun)
- Kit Connor (Heartstoppers)
- Finn Bennett (True Detective: Night Country)
- Taylor John Smith (Where the Crawdads Sing)
- Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark)
- Adain Bradley (The Bold and the Beautiful)
- Noah Centineo (The Recruit)
- Evan Holtzman (Hit Man)
- Henrique Zaga (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare)
- Joseph Quinn (Gladiator 2)
- Charles Melton (May December)
Warfare plot
Here is the official synopsis for Warfare:
“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.”
Warfare trailer
A24 has released the intense official trailer for Warfare, which you can watch right here:
You can also now watch this special looks at the movie, featuring some behind-the-scenes clips and insight from the actors and creators:
Warfare reviews
Warfare reviews are strong, as the movie has 93% "Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes as of April 10.
Alex Garland movies
This is the first directing credit for Mendoza (though he has a number of previous producer credits), but Garland has established himself as a notable director over the years, particularly in science fiction and action movies. Here is a look at Alex Garland’s feature directing credits to date:
- Ex Machina (2014)
- Annihilation (2018)
- Men (2022)
- Civil War (2024)
Just an FYI, Garland is also credited as a co-writer on another big 2025 movie, the zombie sequel 28 Years Later.
Warfare behind the scenes
In addition to A24, Warfare is a DNA Films production. Producers on the project are Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Matthew Penry-Davey and Peter Rice.
At this time we also know the movie is, unsurprisingly, going to be rated R in the US.
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Michael Balderston is What to Watch’s assistant managing editor and lead movie writer, covering movies coming to theaters, writing movie reviews and highlighting new and classic movies on streaming services; he also covers a range of TV shows, including those in the Taylor Sheridan universe, Slow Horses, Only Murders in the Building, Jeopardy!, Saturday Night Live and more, as well as the best ways to watch some major US sporting events.
Based outside of Washington, D.C., Michael's previous experience includes writing for Awards Circuit, TV Technology and The Wrap.
Michael’s favorite movie of all time is Casablanca, while his favorite TV show is Seinfeld. Some 2025 favorites include One of Them Days and Black Bag for movies, and The Pitt on TV. Follow on Letterboxd to keep up with what I'm watching.
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