Two critically acclaimed gritty films came out this week so one of them had to be second & as Sinners was on my hitlist for the year, it was Warfare that was last. But i am very intrigued in this.

My 6pm screening on a wednesday was half sold out. Im impressed. A right mix of ages too, from 15 year olds to oldies. Very good peoples.

Trailers, the accountant 2, Thunderbolts, The Surfer & there were 2 more but i cant remember what they were maybe mission impossible. Im not sure ive seen it alot.

& then the film started… That was intense.

Joseph Quinn is very quickly becoming one of my favourite actors at the moment. Hes been in 3 complete different roles in the last year & bossed them all. & God can that man scream, from being so calm to being so panicked & in pain was incredible, loved every second he was on screen.

They really did feel like they were a little band of brothers, im guessing they all probably lived in that building together & got to know each other well (since watching the film i have found out they all got tattoos together & were all on set for the entire film even when not in frame to make it feel real). I also love how Will Poulter (once again your all sleeping on him) is so in control & then is man enough to go im struggling here i need help, someone else needs to take charge, brave for a man in that situation to say that, especially back then.

We all knew the explosion was coming, wed seen part of it in the trailer but it still made you jump & go oooh shit when it happened. All that nosie to then suddenly your ears ringing a lot. It really was disorientating in a standard screen, forget seeing that in anything else. It really was effective. Thats what makes it a good war film.

I was not expecting the film to open with Call on me. I mean i get. It puts it straight back into that time, it makes you remember these were just young guys whod be at home ogling over this themselves. It really put everything in perspective. & that song is a fucking good remix (even without the sleezy video).

This film doesnt really have acts, its one straight long film about survival orders & doing what you think is right for you & your team.

It was grim when it had to be, very very very grim. Lots of blood & injury detail, showing war isnt glamorous at all & is hell for those who take part in it. The blood is on the soldiers hands but its also on everyone elses involved in it too. This is best shown by the house they pick & the families whos lives they accidentally ruin for a couple of hours as they think that building is a good look out. That was so harsh that no one really cared about them & all they did was hide & try &stay safe.

I love that this is all accounts from veterans of the two middle east wars in the 00s. That they were on set & that their stories are very real & these are their memories of what they had to do & how it changed them all so much. It made the intense nature of it feel even more real, like you really were with them in this house trying to defend their position & then just get out alive.

My main criticism is that it ends very abruptly. They do something, then something else happens & then we get to the credits. I think maybe they could have gone back to the base or maybe we see another group getting ready to go out to defence that area, showing the cycle just starts again.

I say this a lot at the moment but with the world & the state it is in, people need to watch this & ask if war really is worth it for the ordinary people who suffer due to a few powerful people in suits. No its not. This is intense & bloody & grim & horrible, but its the kind of film we need right now.