Director Alex Garland’s “Civil War” is still more than a month away, but the online chatter over it has reached a fever pitch.
The film, co-starring Kirsten Dunst and “Parks & Recreation” alum Nick Offerman, takes place in the near-future when America is at war.
With itself.
The two trailers for the A24 release give little away about the story in question. We know that Offerman’s president is taking a stand, Texas and California have forged an unlikely alliance and the titular “War” is far from cold.
Guns. Tanks. Weapons. Bodies.
The title is the ultimate spoiler alert.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=civil+wars+trailer+2024
It didn’t take long for the liberal press to use the film as a cudgel against Red State America. Variety used several Tweets to frame the conversation as unhinged conservatives declaring war on the film, sight unseen.
The bulk of such reactions to Civil War seem to come from the left side of the political spectrum, and their take goes like this: Regardless of the film’s (presumably pro-unity) message, the film is uncomfortably timely and its “us vs. us” warfare will become MAGA fantasy fuel.
That story’s URL includes the phrase “MAGA violence.”
Subtle.
To be fair, a tiny fraction of conservatives has dubbed the film “predictive programming,” suggesting Garland and co. are setting the stage for a progressive hot war against conservatives via the film.
There’s a kernel of truth to the “Civil War” debate.
It’s an election year, and a film like this would have landed far differently a decade ago.
This year’s rematch between Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump will be as ugly as any contest in recent memory. The 2020 election may look quaint by comparison.
Remember how stores boarded up their windows before the 2020 election results? That wasn’t to prepare for a Biden victory.
Does anyone doubt a Trump win will be greeted by far-Left violence?
America, in too many ways, is a deeply divided nation. Every Thanksgiving we’re treated to think pieces on how to handle your problematic Uncle at turkey time.
Political differences have shattered more than a few friendships. Some family members no longer speak to each other over their political disagreements.
If you haven’t experienced either phenomenon consider yourself lucky.
Pop culture makes matters worse.
Celebrities and TV shows routinely demonize conservatives, from late-night talkers to “Saturday Night Live.” It’s hard to forget the time “SNL” depicted Trump supporters as racist, KKK-style members.
Literally.
And that was roughly eight years ago. Imagine what the show will uncork in the months to come.
News outlets do all they can to gin up hate and mistrust.
Remember how George Zimmerman, who fatally shot Trayvon Martin back in 2012, was dubbed a “white Hispanic” in the press to create a racial storyline where none existed?
Remember the media’s fake, “Hands up, don’t shoot” narrative?
More recently, MSNBC rolled out the red carpet for the authors behind a new book claiming rural white men are the new threat to the American dream.
Celebrated director Rob Reiner’s latest project, “God & Country,” pulls a similar stunt against God-fearing Republicans.
Is it any wonder a film like “Civil War” has some folks on edge?
One thing is clear. We know nothing about the film. Zero. Nada.
We’re micro-examining the trailers for clues, but they’ve offered nothing of consequence. It’s clear Garland is a top-flight storyteller, witness bravura films like “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” He’s likely disinterested in a grindhouse assault on the senses, and he must know the delicate state of the nation.
The better artists grasp the culture at large and the timing of their art.
We’ve been done a similar road before, and culture didn’t handle it well.
The 2016 film “The Hunt” teased a frightening scenario. What if liberals captured a gaggle of conservatives and hunted them for sport?
That film arrived after Trump assumed office, and tensions were already white hot. Trump even weighed in on the film indirectly, making matters worse since no one had seen the film yet.
What happened next?
Two mass shootings roiled the news cycle and, before long Universal Pictures hit “pause” on “The Hunt’s” release schedule.
It was a sad moment for free speech, although not nearly as tragic as what we’re seeing now across the culture. Big Tech censorship, aided and abetted by Team Biden, should worry us all.
(That it doesn’t is another reason to despair the state of our Union.)
When “The Hunt” finally arrived in theaters most movie goers greeted it with a shrug. The story proved surprisingly bipartisan, with both sides of the political aisle taking their lumps.
The big surprise? Betty Gilpin’s Red State warrior stole the film and emerged as its moral compass.
Looking back, conservatives who condemned the film without seeing it looked foolish.
Will history repeat itself with “Civil War?” Could it, too, be stricken from the release schedule a la “The Hunt?”
The Hollywood Reporter even suggested it shouldn’t debut so close to a presidential election – with a dash of Jan. 6 propaganda.
Still, after the Jan. 6 riots that attempted to decertify the 2020 presidential election and with the likelihood of a Joe Biden and Donald Trump rematch, some find it impossible not to see the movie as a pointed commentary on our current divisive times — regardless of its fictional premise — and question whether its release is appropriate seven months before the presidential election.
A few more adrenalized think pieces could make that a reality. Hollywood cowardice is the order of the day. Just ask Michael Rapaport, who can’t stop blasting celebrities for not speaking up on behalf of Israeli hostages.
Dunst offered one tease about the film, something that makes it more in line with “The Hunt” than some expect.
“I think it’s a cautionary tale, a fable of what happens when people don’t communicate with each other and stop seeing each other as human beings.”
One thing remains clear.
If America can’t handle a thriller packed with themes uncomfortably ripped from the headlines, there’s little need for a civil war, real or imagined.
We’ve already lost.
“Civil War” premieres at the SXSW TV & Film Festival next week and rolls out in theaters nationwide April 12.
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