WARFARE : Tuesday 29th April 2025.

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'WARFARE' this week, and this war action film is Written and Directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland and is based on Mendoza's experiences during the Iraq War as a former US Navy SEAL. Alex Garland's prior feature film making credits take in his debut with 'Ex Machina' in 2014, then 'Annihilation' in 2018, 'Men' in 2022 and 'Civil War' most recently last year. The film saw its World Premiere showcasing in mid-March, was released in the USA in early April, here and in the UK from mid-April, has garnered generally favourable critical press and has so far grossed US$26M from a production budget of US$20M. In order to maintain historical accuracy, the film's material is exclusively taken from the testimonies of the platoon members, and is depicted in real time.

Here then, a platoon of Navy SEAL's embark on a dangerous surveillance mission in Ramadi, Iraq on 19th November. 2006. Under cover of the dead of night the platoon (call sign Alpha One) takes control of a house, and wakens a husband and wife and their two young children. They quickly learn from the family that the upper level is a separate apartment, that is blocked off by a brick wall which they breach to access it. 

JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller) communications officer Ray Mendoza (D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai) coordinates air support to monitor their position while sniper and medic Elliott Miller (Cosmo Jarvis) monitors the various locals comings and goings at a market across the street, through the telescopic sight on his sniper rifle. They are performing overwatch duties in support of a US Marines operation.

Translators Farid (Nathan Altai) and Noor (Donya Hussen) learn from the family that there is another family living upstairs. They instruct them all to remain silent and in place. Ray and Elliott observe increased activity across the street. ANGLICO (Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company) LT McDonald (Michael Gandolfini) radios for air assets while the translators advise that the enemy has broadcast a call to arms. Leading Officer in Charge Erik (Will Poulter) instructs the translators to guard the upstairs part of the building. A grenade is thrown into the sniper's room injuring Elliott's hand. A CASEVAC (Casualty Evacuation) is called to evacuate him. In preparation, the team gathers their weapons and blow Claymore mines off the top floor balcony to create a distraction. As the Bradley (Fighting Vehicle) arrives to collect Elliott, and undercover of a smoke screen, an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) explodes close by killing a translator and further wounding Elliott and Leading Petty Officer Sam (Joseph Quinn). The Bradley departs the scene of the carnage.

Having gradually come round dazed and confused by what has just moments ago transpired, the Alpha One unit retreats and regroups in the house while tending to Sam's shredded legs. Erik calls team Alpha Two to collapse into their position, but they are held up by firefights further down the street. Air support returns but due to opposing fire McDonald can only coordinate a show of force (intended to warn or to intimidate an opponent by showcasing a capability or will to act if one is provoked) by a low level jet fighter. Ray determines Sam requires a tourniquet but is unable to apply it due to his quivering hands, and so instead packs the wound with gauze and places his knee on Sam's wound, increasing Sam's agony. Ray dissociates, and so Erik takes over and applies the tourniquet. Elliott regains consciousness and screams in pain as McDonald tends to his injuries. Elliott, through his pain directs McDonald to the morphine in his bag which McDonald then administers to him and Sam, giving them some relief only.

Alpha Two make it into Alpha One's building. Their request for medical evacuation is denied for fear of another IED attack. Alpha Two leader Jake (Charles Melton) orders his communications officer, John (Finn Bennett), to impersonate the army commanding officer to approve their evacuation. Jake retrieves gear from the street before Elliott and Sam are hurriedly loaded into the two Bradleys. The team returns to the house. Believing insurgents may have infiltrated the second floor from the roof, Jake orders two other Bradleys to take out the top deck of their building. Under cover of another show of force, the Alpha One and Alpha Two men are extracted by the Bradleys and leave the neighbourhood under heavy small arms fire. The families in the house slowly emerge from their rooms and survey what remains of their home, realising the soldiers have left. The surviving insurgents cautiously gather in the street when the dust has settled and study the bloodied dismembered remains of what is left of the Iraqi translator. 

Based on a true story of the fairly recent past and told with all the chaos and brotherhood of war retold through their memories of the event, the team of Alpha One together with joint Directors Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland have crafted an immersive, visceral and realistic retelling of the physical and emotional toll of modern warfare. The performances from the principle cast are all top notch and each one played with conviction and determination to do justice to the men who served on that fateful mission, the sound design is near perfect, and the real time film making serves to add urgency and tension to an already fraught situation. This no-holds barred, intense and authentic cinematic experience is best seen on the big screen and easily stands up there with Scott's 'Black Hawk Down', Spielberg's 'Saving Private Ryan' and Berger's 'All Quiet on the Western Front' as a must see film of the futility of war. My only gripe of this film is that there is zero backstory to Alpha One's platoon members, but I'm guessing that this was intentional on the part of the Co-Director's, who didn't want to get bogged down by leaning in to the history of the individuals, rather concentrating on the here and now and let the intense action, the emotion and the physicality of the rapidly unfolding situation do the talking. 

'Warfare' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 17th April 2025.

The 68th annual San Francisco International Film Festival this year takes place from Thursday 17th through until Sunday 27th April. Founded in 1957, the San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM Festival) is the longest-running film festival in the Americas. The annual event features a range of marquee premieres, international competitions, compelling documentaries, short and mid-length films, live music performances, and dazzling red carpet events. The SFFILM Festival is deeply rooted in the culture and process of film appreciation - film as an art form and as a meaningful agent for social change - and is an important showcase for the most searching and innovative films from around the globe, so reads the official website.

This years Opening Night Film is 'Rebuilding' from the USA and Written and Directed by Max Walker-Silverman, and tells the story of communal love and resilience, as uncertain and mild-mannered man Dusty (Josh O’Connor) determined to rebuild his family ranch and recapture his purpose as a cowboy. Also starring Meghann Fahy, Amy Madigan, Lilly LaTour and Kali Reis. The Closing Night Film is 'Outerlands' from the USA and is Written and Directed by Elena Oxman and is about a gig worker in San Francisco who balances multiple jobs, including dealing party drugs. When their crush asks them to watch her daughter, what starts as temporary childcare evolves into an unexpected journey of self-discovery and healing.

Presented at the Festival since its inaugural year in 1957, the Golden Gate Awards are among the most significant honours for emerging global film artists in the USA. Prizes are traditionally awarded in twelve narrative, documentary, and short film categories and include cash awards. Those films in the Narrative Feature Competition are as follows :-

* 'The Quiet Son' - from France and Written and Directed by the sister duo of Delphine and Muriel Coulin. 

* 'Xoftex' - from Germany and France and Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed, photographed and Co-Edited by Noaz Deshe.

* '3670' - from South Korea and is Written, Executive Produced, Directed and Edited by Joonho Park.

* 'Cactus Pears' - from India, the UK and Canada and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Rohan Parashuram Kanawade.

* 'Sukkwan Island' - from France, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and the UK and Written and Directed by Vladimir de Fontenay.

* 'All That's Left of You' - from Germany, Cyprus, Palestine, Jordan, Greece, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and Written, Co-Produced, Directed and stars Cherein Dabis.

* 'Ricky' - from the USA and Co-Written and Directed by Rashad Frett.

* 'Surviving Earth' - from the UK and is Written and Directed by Thea Gajic.

* 'That Summer in Paris' - from France and Co-Written and Directed by Valentine Cadic.

For the synopsis of the above highlighted films, plus all the details of the other films in competition, the film sections being showcased, and a whole bunch of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : https://sffilm.org/

Turning back to this weeks five hottest new release movies gracing a big screen Odeon close to your home, we launch with a supernatural horror film about twin brothers who return to their hometown but are faced with a greater evil. Next up is a modern telling of war as a surveillance mission goes south for a platoon of American Navy SEAL's in insurgent territory in Iraq. Then we turn to a mystery thriller in  which a widowed mother's first date takes a terrifying turn when she's bombarded with anonymous threatening messages on her phone, leaving her questioning if her charming date is behind the harassment. This is followed by a biographical drama offering telling the story of the arrest, trial and imprisonment of an Australian journalist, who while reporting on the Arab Spring uprising becomes entangled in a deadly game of rivalries. And closing out the week we have a comedy drama about an Englishman who experiences personal and political changes after adopting a penguin during a turbulent time in Argentina's history.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the five latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the week ahead.

'SINNERS' (Rated MA15+) - is an American period supernatural horror film Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Ryan Coogler, whose former feature film output includes his big screen debut with 'Fruitvale Station' in 2013, which he would follow up with 'Creed' in 2015, 'Black Panther' in 2018 and 'Black Panther : Wakanda Forever' in 2022. The film is released this week too in the US and had a production budget of US$90M. 

Here then, set in the 1930's in the Southern United States during the height of the Jim Crow era, the film follows twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan) who are attempting to leave their troubled lives behind, as they return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. Also starring Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O'Connell, Jayme Lawson and Delroy Lindo. 

'WARFARE' (Rated MA15+) - this war action film is Written and Directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland and is based on Mendoza's experiences during the Iraq War as a former US Navy SEAL. Alex Garland's prior feature film making credits take in his debut with 'Ex Machina' in 2014, then 'Annihilation' in 2018, 'Men' in 2022 and 'Civil War' most recently last year. Here then, a platoon of Navy SEAL's embark on a dangerous surveillance mission in Ramadi, Iraq in 2006, with the chaos and brotherhood of war retold through their memories of the event. Starring D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as Ray Mendoza with Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Joseph Quinn, Kit Connor, Michael Gandolfini, Charles Melton, Noah Centineo, Henry Zaga and Alex Brockdorff. The film saw its World Premiere showcasing in mid-March, was released in the USA last week, here and in the UK this week, has garnered generally favourable critical press and has so far grossed US$8.5M from a production budget of US$20M.

'DROP' (Rated MA15+) - is an American mystery thriller film Directed by Christopher Landon who made his feature film Directing debut with 'Burning Palms' in 2010 and would follow this up with 'Paranormal Activity : The Marked Ones' in 2014, then 'Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse' in 2015, 'Happy Death Day' in 2017, 'Happy Death Day 2U' in 2019, 'Freaky' in 2020 and 'We Have a Ghost' in 2023. Here then, Violet (Meghann Fahy), a widowed mother, is on a date with Henry (Brandon Sklenar) when she is terrorised by a series of anonymous messages to her mobile phone. The caller instructs her to tell nobody, and follow increasingly malicious instructions, or her younger sister, Jen (Violett Beane), and her son, Toby (Jacob Robinson) will be killed, culminating with her being told to kill Henry. The film had its premiere at the SXSW in early March, was released in the US last week, has received positive reviews from critics and has so far grossed US$11M from a production budget of US$11M.

'THE CORRESPONDENT' (Rated M) - this biographical legal thriller film is Directed by Kriv Stenders whose prior feature film output includes 'The Illustrated Family Doctor' in 2005, 'Boxing Day' in 2007, 'Lucky Country' in 2009, 'Red Dog' in 2011, 'Kill Me Three Times' in 2014, 'Red Dog : True Blue' in 2016, 'Australia Day' in 2017 and 'Danger Close : The Battle of Long Tan' in 2019. This film is based on the 2017 memoir 'The First Casualty' by Peter Greste. The film is based on the real-life story of Australian foreign correspondent and journalist Peter Greste (Richard Roxburgh), who was arrested in Cairo, Egypt after being accused of spreading false news and aiding the Muslim Brotherhood. Imprisoned for seven years despite his innocence, he survives on wits alone before being released in 2015. The film saw its World Premiere screening at the Adelaide Film Festival back in September last year and is released this week here in Australia. 

'THE PENGUIN LESSONS' (Rated M) - is a comedy drama film Directed by Peter Cattaneo who made his feature film Directorial debut with 1997's 'The Full Monty' and which he would follow up with 'Lucky Break' in 2001, 'Opal Dream' in 2006, 'The Rocker' in 2008 and 'Military Wives' in 2019. This film is based on the 2015 memoir of the same name by Tom Michell. Inspired by the true story of a disillusioned Englishman, Tom Michell (Steve Coogan) who went to work in a school in Argentina in 1976. Expecting an easy ride, Tom discovers a divided nation and a class of unteachable students. However, after he rescues a penguin from an oil-slicked beach at a Uraguayan resort, his life is turned upside-down, as the penguin then kept following him and so he took it back to the school, where it became a popular pet. Also starring Jonathan Pryce as the school Headmaster. It premiered as a gala presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival in September last year, was released in the US in late March and is released in the UK, Ireland and here in Australia this week. It has so far grossed almost US$3M and has generated mixed or average reviews.

With five new release movie offerings this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere at your local Odeon in the coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-