The upcoming 2028 IMAX adaptation of Hidetaka Miyazaki’s Elden Ring could serve as the final piece of an unexpected trilogy for writer-director Alex Garland. Garland is certainly no novice to genre-bending narratives—having penned 28 Days Later and its recent successors, alongside Sunshine and directing masterclasses like Ex Machina and Annihilation. However, viewing his trajectory through a wider lens, this project seems less like a high-profile filmmaker indulging in a fantasy epic and more like the inevitable culmination of his ongoing inquiry into the intersection of trauma, memory, and combat.
<p>The casting of Kit Connor as a sword-wielding protagonist feels like a deliberate breadcrumb. If we look at the thematic sequence of <em><a href="https://www.polygon.com/24099490/civil-war-review-2024-alex-garland/" target="_blank">Civil War</a></em> and <em><a href="https://www.polygon.com/horror/555797/alex-garland-warfare-review-horror-movie/" target="_blank">Warfare</a></em>, the transition to a world where one must face a multi-limbed shardbearer like Godrick the Grafted feels surprisingly seamless.</p>
<p>While <em>Civil War</em> became a cultural touchstone in 2024 with its polarizing exploration of domestic instability, <em>Warfare</em> flew somewhat under the radar, perhaps due to its uncompromisingly grueling nature. Where <em>Civil War</em> invited viewers to contemplate the fragility of American institutions, <em>Warfare</em> is a visceral, headline-ripping experience. Teaming up with former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza, Garland funneled the raw, firsthand accounts of the Battle of Ramadi into a screenplay that plays out with haunting procedural precision. It is, quite arguably, one of the most immersive war films ever crafted.</p>
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<p>Connor portrays the youngest member of the SEAL platoon—a gunner whose heroism is framed against the cold, indifferent backdrop of modern interventionism. Garland and Mendoza intentionally eschew traditional character arcs, opting instead for a near-experimental approach that reflects the chaos of their source material. Drawing inspiration from the <a href="https://collider.com/rules-danish-film-movement-dogme-95/" target="_blank">Dogme 95</a> philosophy, the directors stripped away ornamental filmmaking flourishes to heighten the sense of reality. The result is a film that relies on profound, intense sound design to convey the terror of the battlefield, ultimately letting the gravity of the events speak louder than any traditional three-act moralizing.</p>
<p>Viewers expecting a showcase for Kit Connor’s range—or perhaps a glimpse of how he will navigate the "Lands Between"—might find <em>Warfare</em> a jarring departure. It lacks the vanity-project quality of many modern blockbusters; there are no "Oscar clip" monologues here. Instead, Connor disappears entirely into the collective body of the unit, a testament to his grueling <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDAYcecaRRM" target="_blank">boot camp regimen</a> and his absolute dedication to the production’s singular vision.</p>
<p>Though it may seem like a reach to connect the gritty realism of a modern war film to a fantasy epic filled with monsters and <a href="https://www.polygon.com/24158464/cool-sword-day/" target="_blank">mythical weaponry</a>, Garland’s fascination with FromSoftware—and his deep admiration for <em>Dark Souls</em>—suggests otherwise. He has frequently praised the "embedded poetry" of those games, noting that they evoke a dreamlike, existential state of discovery.</p>
<p>“The Dark Souls games have this inherent, dreamlike quality,” Garland noted in a 2020 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMdasaWiYD8" target="_blank">GameSpot</a> interview. “It’s about wandering through imaginative spaces that flow seamlessly into one another.”</p>
<p>You have plenty of time to master the challenges of <em>Elden Ring</em> before its cinematic debut on March 3, 2028. In the interim, if you have the fortitude, <em>Warfare</em>—currently streaming on HBO Max—is a vital, albeit difficult, piece of cinema that offers a clear look at the director's current creative headspace.</p>Source: Polygon
