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Warfare (2025) is a war drama co-directed by filmmaker Alex Garland and former U.S. Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza. The film features an ensemble cast including D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton, and Kit Connor. D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai portrays Ray Mendoza himself.
The plot unfolds in real-time, following a platoon of Navy SEALs during the Battle of Ramadi in 2006. The soldiers are tasked with a surveillance mission from a two-story Iraqi home when a sudden and brutal ambush breaks out. The narrative centers on the dramatic, turbulent experience of surviving under fire as well as the actual, minute-by-minute reality of the battle.
Warfare is based on the real-life experiences of co-director Ray Mendoza, specifically a terrifying mission he took part in November 2006. The screenplay was written based on the in-depth memories and testimony of the real platoon members. The film is dedicated to a fellow soldier, Elliott Miller.
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The real-life mission that inspired Alex Garland's Warfare
Co-directed by acclaimed filmmaker Alex Garland and first-time director Ray Mendoza, a retired U.S. Navy SEAL, Warfare stands out as a unique cinematic work that blurs the line between scripted drama and historical record. The film draws inspiration from the brutal realities of modern combat, based directly on a real-life firefight Mendoza experienced in Iraq.
Warfare traces its origins to an old conversation between Garland and Mendoza, who was a military advisor on the production of Garland's Civil War. While they were working together, Mendoza shared a personal story from his service: a difficult mission in the city of Ramadi on November 19, 2006.
Mendoza's SEAL unit was ambushed by terrorists while overwatching for a bigger mission during this particularly harsh period of the Iraq War. The story is especially emotional as Elliott Miller, a fellow SEAL and close friend of Mendoza's, suffered severe injuries in the attack and later lost all memory of it. Recognizing the powerful and untold nature of this story, Garland and Mendoza decided to make it their next project.
Co-director Mendoza stated:
“I wanted to make something veterans could use as a stepping off point, maybe for conversations that they wouldn't otherwise be able to have.”
They aimed to produce a film that was more of a precisely replicated in-the-moment drama than an ordinary war motion picture. Warfare's screenplay was based on the surviving platoon members' detailed recollections and testimonies rather than being fictitious. Relying solely on these firsthand accounts, they sought to capture the unsettling nature of a real firefight and the bursts of intense action followed by periods of tense, silent waiting.
The film's emphasis on Elliott Miller serves as a tribute and, in Mendoza's own words, "give his friend's memories back to him." Warfare explores the psychological and physical effects of combat, the unplanned chaos of battle, and the silent moments of companionship. D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn, and Charles Melton underwent extensive training to portray the SEALs’ condition authentically.
After premiering at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago on March 16, 2025, Warfare was released in the U.S. on April 11, 2025. Viewers can stream this gripping real-life war thriller on HBO Max or can rent or purchase it digitally on Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango At Home.
Stay tuned for more updates.
