In Alex Garland's 'Civil War,' the American dream lies shattered, depicted through a United States violently breaking up and breaking down.
Projecting a dystopian scenario on the big screen, Garland is obliged to trace the roots of this 'Civil War.' Regrettably, his story lacks sufficient context for the conflict, focusing primarily on a small group of gung-ho journalists looking for a president already on an unconstitutional third term.
Meanwhile, a secessionist coalition has somehow formed between deep-blue California and deep-red Texas, forcing its way through Washington, D.C. The president-turned-dictator finds himself holding out in his White House bunker. Above ground, the Lincoln Memorial now stands in ruins, serving as a poignant reminder of the nation's dashed aspirations.
This narrative, however, brazenly ignores the audience's desire to know what has made such an American dictatorship possible in the first place, leaving a politically-charged movie to flounder like a headless chicken in the mud.
The saving grace of 'Civil War' happens to be, ironically, Jesse Plemons' convincing portrayal of a bloodthirsty racist who has gunned down two non-white journalists. Incidentally, one victim is from Hong Kong, China.
The movie ends without suggesting an imminent nuclear apocalypse. Perhaps Garland's America is not beyond redemption, after all.
