Review of Civil War

Gruelling violent dystopian war film, set in more-or-less contemporary America in which a civil war has broken out. with a secessionist movement implausibly consisting of California and Texas, and maybe Florida. There's never any discussion as to what the background to secession or the war, just lots of scenes to remind Americans what it looks like when the war comes home. So mass graves, execution of prisoners, shattered towns, that sort of thing.

The narrative focuses on a group of press photographers, and there is some reflection on the role of the media in war time, but it doesn't go very deep.

The film ends with the storming of Washington DC, and then the White House, where team of soldiers find and kill the defeated US President, and then pose smiling by his body.

Lots of affect, but not much thought - perhaps just a warning for Americans to draw back from the brink?

Watched via informal distribution.