Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s visceral war dramaWarfarehas already broken records with its universal acclaim, but it may come up just short of what would be its most impressive record.Warfare, which is now showing in theaters everywhere, has receivedrave reviews for its harrowing realism, as it drops the audience directly into the confusion and disorientation of a firefight during the Iraq War.Inspired by Mendoza and his comrades' memories of a real-life incident, the movie’s unmistakable message focuses exclusively on the soldiers' experience, and not on the greater conflict.
While comparisons to other Iraq War-based movies are inevitable,Warfareforgoes a drawn-out fictional story in favor of more realistically depicting an actual limited event in real time. As a result, filmmaking is at the forefront, creating an immersive experience for the audience that has both critics and moviegoers applauding. It’s already broken several Rotten Tomatoes records, but it remains to be seen if it can achieve what would be its most impressive milestone.
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It Represents The Top Score For Several People Involved In The Movie
Image via A24
With 124 verified critic reviews logged, Warfare is Certified Fresh onRotten Tomatoeswith a 94% Tomatometer Score. Now that it’s hit theaters, it also has a Verified Hot Popcornmeter Score of 93%, meaning that both critics and audiences agree on the movie’s quality (a rare feat in itself). That sky-high score represents the top score for several of the key members of the film’s production. Notably,Warfareis not the highest-rated movie for stars D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and Will Poulter, who starred in 2023’sFitting In(96%) and 2011’sWild Bill(100%), respectively.
Jake
May December(91%)
Warfarerepresents Ray Mendoza’s first writing and directorial experience, but he has acted as the military advisor for several major movies and TV shows, most notably the under-appreciated Afghanistan War movieThe Outpost.Warfaretaking the top spot for Alex Garlandis incredibly impressive, as hisfilmography as a directorand writer is loaded with major critical hits, likeEx Machina,Annihilation, and28 Days Later. There is plenty of time forWarfare’s score to still move up or down, but with so many reviews already submitted, the 94% Tomatometer Score seems close to where it will settle.
Warfare Is Only 2% Shy Of Being The Highest-Rated Iraq War Movie On Rotten Tomatoes
The Only Movie It Trails Is An Oscar Winner
Dozens of movies have been released about the various conflicts in the Middle East that the United States has been involved in for the last four decades. Some of the most highly-rated focused on American soldiers' experiences in both Afghanistan and Iraq during the 2000s, as is the case forWarfare. The events of that movie focused on an incident that came about just after the conclusion of the Battle of Ramadi, which took place from March to November 2006 as part of the Iraq War.
While Garland and Mendoza are listed as co-directors onWarfare, Garland announced that his role was mostly supporting Mendoza, who makes his directorial debut withWarfare.
As it stands,Warfareis only 2% shy of registering the highest Rotten Tomatoes score of any movie based on the Iraq War. That title belongs toKathryn Bigelow’s 2008 war action thrillerThe Hurt Locker, which stars Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie at the head of an incredible cast.The Hurt Lockeris inspired by real events that occurred during the Iraq War, but is a fictionalized drama that doesn’t purport to be based on any real battles, asWarfareis. At the time of Warfare’s release,The Hurt Lockerboasted a Tomatometer Score of 96%.
Warfare Beating The Hurt Locker Would Be Its Most Impressive Rotten Tomatoes Achievement
Beating A Best Picture Winner Would Be Incredible
As of this writing,Warfareis in the opening weekend of its theatrical release. There is of course plenty of time for its score to rise or fall as more critics view the film. For comparison’s sake,The Hurt Locker’s 96% score is based on 287 verified critic reviews, more than doubleWarfare’s 124.The Hurt Lockerwon six Academy Awards on nine nominations, including the Academy Award for Best Picture, so Warfare matching its Tomatometer Score would be a truly incredible feat, although it is certainly possible.
For as incredible a movie asThe Hurt Lockerwas, it received a plethora of criticism for its inaccurate portrayal of the soldiers' experience during the Iraq War. Some of the elements that made it such an engrossing drama were, unfortunately, not reflective of the real conditions during the Iraq War, which is whereWarfareoutshines the Oscar winner. With Ray Mendoza at the helm and a screenplay based entirely on the memories of the men who fought in the skirmish,Warfarecould be the closest a Hollywood movie ever gets to the real Iraq War experience.
