‘Warfare’ Hits UK Screens This Week with Grit, Guts, and Unflinching Realism

The much-anticipated war film Warfare lands in UK cinemas this week, with special preview screenings rolling out nationwide today ahead of its official release on Friday, April 18th. If you’re still reeling from the intensity of Alex Garland’s Civil War, prepare to be shaken once more. Garland returns—this time teaming up with real-life Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza—to deliver a harrowing, pulse-pounding depiction of combat that’s as raw as it is real.

Warfare stands apart from the crowd of glossy, dramatized war movies. There’s no Hollywood polish here—just a visceral, boots-on-the-ground portrayal of modern warfare, grounded in the true events of the 2006 Battle of Ramadi during the Iraq War. Forget fictionalized hero arcs or patriotic fanfare; this is war as it was lived.

Garland and Mendoza’s primary goal with Warfare is simple yet ambitious: show war as it truly is. And they succeeded. The combat sequences, especially the harrowing moment Miller is injured, carry an emotional weight that reflects Mendoza’s firsthand experiences. In fact, filming those scenes stirred painful memories for the former SEAL, underscoring just how close to reality the film cuts, he discussed his woes with SlashFilm.

The sound, the way [he] was struggling, the light, how much smoke there was, it was perfect, as in, too perfect, and it kind of opened up years of compartmentalisation of these emotions and feelings that I was afraid was going to happen, and it did!

Set on November 19, 2006, the film follows the real Navy SEAL platoon tasked with a high-risk mission in the volatile city of Ramadi. Among them: Ray Mendoza (played by D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai) and his close friend Elliot Miller (Cosmo Jarvis). What began as a tactical operation soon spiraled into a desperate fight for survival—one that left Miller gravely wounded and changed their lives forever. The film is dedicated to him, a tribute to both his sacrifice and enduring resilience. The film features a standout ensemble cast portraying the American platoon, alongside D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and Cosmo Jarvis is Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn, and Kit Connor.

Warfare doesn’t look like just another war movie—it’s a stark, relentless chronicle of brotherhood, trauma, and survival. For those seeking an honest look at the cost of combat, this will be a film not to be missed.

Warfare officially hits cinemas across the UK this Friday, April 18, but eager viewers can catch early preview screenings starting today, April 16, at select theaters nationwide. Watch the trailer below.

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