New A24 Thriller Hailed as Masterpiece: “My jaw was on the floor”
I’m a huge Alex Garland fan. I think 28 Days Later and Sunshine account for two of the best genre scripts of the century, bold revisions of classic horror and science fiction tropes. Ex Machina was a groundbreaking allegorical tale (and Garland’s directorial debut) with style, and terror, to spare.
And Annihilation? Well, I think it’s one of the scariest movies of all time, a perfect adaptation of its source material, reasonably (at the time) considered unfilmable. I even liked Men, even if it is one of his weakest releases. So, when Garland announced Civil War, I was excited, but also skeptical, especially when the first trailer released.
Our own Drew Tinnin had the pleasure of catching the film’s premiere before its April 12 release. Check out what he had to say in his 4.5 star review of Civil War below:
Shockingly, Alex Garland’s polarizing new film offers up a surprising level of catharsis hidden inside a riveting, action heavy war movie.
Naturally, I’m excited. It wasn’t really on my radar, but now it’s impossible to resist. And, like the best genre cinema out there, the broad reaction has been polarizing. While some, like Drew, herald Civil War as a subversive masterpiece, others have reasonably found it much harder to stomach, echoing my original reaction to the first trailer. So, to get ready for Civil War this April, check out what critics are saying about Garland’s latest below:
No doubt, Civil War is going to be the buzziest genre release of the year. There’s no telling how I’ll feel when I finally catch it (and, like the buzzy titles of the past, I’d encourage audiences to remember people are allowed to dislike movies they like), but it’s shot up my most-anticipated of the year list.
What do you think? Do these reactions get you more excited for Civil War? Among Alex Garland’s filmography, what’s your favorite? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
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