We gotta deal with the rise of populist fascism, mounting political divisions, and ideological factionalism in reality, so why not make a movie imagining its possible consequences? In the final trailer for Civil War, we see a fictional near-future America in the middle of armed conflict. Manhattan is littered with snipers and the Lincoln Memorial sits in flames while journalists document the violence. The sound design is reminiscent of a first-person-shooter video game. It’s unclear what each side is fighting about, though we do know this parallel universe sees California and Texas as one rebel state. Civil War is confirmed to be 109 minutes in run time despite the rumor it’d be over 3 hours long. This movie must not have any basis in real-life politics if those two regions have teamed up. Based on the trailer, race or any other social issues aren’t really a factor in all of this, which … like, okay, sure.
Anyway, Kirsten Dunst plays a photojournalist documenting atrocities as a massive July 4 invasion unfolds in Washington, D.C. She must travel through bombed-out highways and dodge bullets to do her job, much to her frustration. “Every time I survived a war zone, I thought I was sending a warning home,†she said in the first trailer. “But here we are.†Because how could a war ever happen in the famously peaceful America? Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura, and Stephen McKinley Henderson also star. The Alex Garland–directed cautionary tale arrives this election year on April 12.
This post has been updated.