In the opening sequence of Alex Garland’s intense thriller Civil War, the dictatorial president of the USA (Nick Offerman) practices his nation address on the updates regarding victories within the military campaign. In this dystopian futuristic setting, the US is divided into four divisions and the world of journalism is seemingly under attack. Garland, who wrote and directed this smart feature, created a powerful story that is more than meets the eye. With a career best performance from Kirsten Dunst and a pulsating sound design, Civil War is a thrilling body of work that should be talked about in journalism circles.

Lee (Dunst) is an acclaimed war photojournalist from Colorado. After years of capturing the most inhumane acts of war, she’s become hardened to the violence. During a stint in New York City with her lively colleague Joel (Wagner Moura), a suicide bomber nearly takes out her team. Amidst the chaos, Lee also finds herself saving Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), an aspiring war photographer from Missouri. With their New York Times mentor, Sammy (Stephen McKinley Hendersen), Lee, Joel, and Jessie go on a dangerous journey to the frontlines of the war.

Garland’s script is more than meets the eye.

Since the premiere of Civil War, there has been quite the discourse. Some question whether or not this is the appropriate time for the film given our current climate. Others claim the trailers misled them. One thing I know to be true about Alex Garland’s latest is that it’s great filmmaking. The screenplay uses the national conflict as a centerpiece to ask the following important question: What will it take to get the truth? For Lee and company, they answer this question by exercising their rights as press and attempt to capture what’s going on throughout the nation.

With a career best performance from Kirsten Dunst and a pulsating sound design, Civil War is a thrilling body of work that should be talked about in journalism circles.

While it’s a bit more challenging for us as an audience to look at this film and ask that same question to ourselves, Garland cleverly uses his story and characters to explain what happens when we come across that truth. For Lee, post-traumatic stress disorder eats away at her and inhibits her ability to make sound decisions. For Jessie, it’s the opposite. Her ambition gets the best of her and obstructs Jessie’s common sense.

Civil War boasts exceptional technical elements that elevate the watching experience.

For “regular” citizens who are not at the front lines witnessing these events, it’s completely different. The first phase is becoming appalled to results of war and inhumane acts. But somewhere along the way, we become numb to the truth so much that it prevents action. That is the basis of Garland’s dystopian flick. The fact that a civil war is happening does not matter. The different sides and political opinions don’t matter either. In fact, Garland is careful and intentional with the ambiguity of the conflict. The pursuit of truth and our actions upon learning of it is what matters most.

One thing I know to be true about Alex Garland’s latest is that it’s great filmmaking.

Garland’s cultural critique of war and truth-finding comes with a plethora of accomplishments. The director uses snapshots of his characters’ photography as moments to reel in audiences emotionally. The images accompany succinct moments of silence to accentuate the level of intensity and danger that accompanies war. These instances also contain superb sound mixing that amplifies the powerful force that penetrates your ears. From the loud gunfire and screams to the shortness of breaths we hear from the characters; Civil War is an attack on the senses in all the ways a film should be.

Civil War induces a special kind of fear.

Even throughout his feature, Garland is cautious to remember the side of humanity that is worth fighting for despite the viciousness we often see onscreen. These scenes come with subtlety but at the perfect times. But by and large, this is a film that has the potential to induce a special kind of fear: fear of uncertainty. And it’s best to see this film for what it is: a commentary about the pursuit of truth and the consequences thereof. And by that final sequence in the third act, your heart will surely be pumping when reality settles in.

Check out the trailer for Alex Garland’s Civil War from A24: