Dystopian Streaming Thriller On Max Offers Controversial Look At Dark Future For America 2025
Dystopian Streaming Thriller On Max Offers Controversial Look At Dark Future For America 2025
By Robert Scucci
| Published
One topic of discussion that has kept me from engaging with social media for the past several months is the looming idea that our country is so politically divided that we’re on the verge of a second civil war. After watching last year’s aptly titled Civil War, my anxieties over such a bleak prospect have not been quelled, but I did take something away from the film that gives me hope: no matter what happens – war, death, famine, or economic collapse – people will continue to be people, and out of the ashes of a decimated America, we’ll find a way to rebuild.
Civil War makes an earnest attempt to show its viewers just how quickly society can deteriorate when the powers that be focus on their own self-interest rather than the well-being of their citizens; alliances are formed, and they all have radically different approaches in restoring the natural order of things, resulting in barbaric practices where humans are treated like cannon-fodder.
Yet somehow, humanity prevails.
Civil War Benefits From Leaving Viewers In The Dark
One common criticism I’ve seen for Civil War is how vaguely it approaches political dissent in the United States that’s directly inspired by our current, real-life socio-political climate. Though the audience is made aware of four factions (The Loyalist States, The Western Forces, The Florida Alliance, and The New People’s Army), their motives are never explicitly spelled out, but rather fed to the audience in bits and pieces, leaving room for interpretation. While it’s easy to criticize this narrative choice as a cop-out, we really don’t need a ton of exposition to know what’s really at stake in this film.
All you need to know going into Civil War is that the world is on fire, and there’s no clear-cut answer on how we can extinguish the blaze that’s already been started. Think about it … if you were living through this kind of historical event, would you be checking Twitter for updates on what’s actually happening, or would you be focusing on survival?
To drive this point home, B-reel of mass graves, militarized police, and dying citizens are juxtaposed with The President’s (Nick Offerman) opening speech about how peace will soon be restored thanks to US Military’s dedication to reuniting a fractured nation.
Emotionally Absent Attempts At Objectivity
Civil War follows a group of journalists led by the world-weary Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst) and her colleague, Joel (Wagner Moura), who are determined to secure an interview with The President before he’s captured and executed by the Western Forces or Florida Alliance, or flees his Washington D.C compound. Joining Lee and Joel on their treacherous trek from New York City to Washington, D.C. is an aspiring photojournalist named Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), and a veteran New York Times reporter named Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), who’s also Lee’s mentor.
Along the way, a clear dynamic is established between Lee’s cynicism, Joel’s “let’s get it done” attitude, Jessie’s youthful exuberance and naivety, and Sammy’s sage-like wisdom. Documenting their entire trip along highways full of abandoned cars, through war-torn cities, and across a countryside that’s used as a dumping ground for innocent victims caught in the crossfire, the group of journalists are exposed to serious pockets of humanity and violence that resulted from the fallout of a modern civil war.
While everybody in the group tries to remain emotionally absent so they can get the job done, they can’t help but be human when the opportunity presents itself. Having all seen horrible things on a day-to-day basis for an indeterminate amount of time, they experience moments of levity when they enter small-town shops in areas that aren’t overrun by militarized police, or rivaling loyalist and rebel factions. Some of the most disarming moments in Civil War involve setting up camp for the night while the neighboring counties’ battles light up the night sky in the distance while everybody shares a drink and decompresses after a tense day of traveling through hostile territory.
It’s Not The Conflict, But How We React To It
Civil War’s actual “conflict” is irrelevant to its storytelling because the events that occur before we’re introduced to its principal characters are too complex to ever unpack in a single feature-length film. The important takeaway that needs to be considered is that while Lee, Joel, Jessie, and Sammy try to document what’s happening in real time so future generations can have historical context on the Second American Civil War, they embody the human spirit of persistence, perseverance, and the willingness to die for their work so such a horrific chain of events never happens again.
As of this writing, you can stream Civil War in all of its violent glory on Max.
