The Film Board gathers! This month, host Justin Jaeger is joined by Steve Sarmento and Tommy Metz III to litigate Alex Garland's provocative new film "Civil War." The movie depicts a dystopian near-future America fractured by a second civil war, following a group of journalists on a perilous trek to interview the authoritarian president.

We dive into the film's central themes—what it means to bear witness to war, how allegiances break down in times of chaos, and whether the movie serves more as a warning or simply a brutal glimpse of "what if." We debate Garland's motivations in making the film now, at a time when a shocking 40% of Americans believe a civil war could happen in the next decade.

JayJay, with his background in TV journalism, scrutinizes the portrayal of war photographers and the language they use. Steve sees Apocalypse Now in the journey into the heart of darkness. And Tommy ponders if the film depicts how quickly social order and humanity could unravel in a new American civil war.

The discussion touches on the graphic war violence that eventually numbs the viewer, mirroring the journalists' experience. We question if the movie succeeds more in its fictionalized character studies than its social commentary over the ambiguous world-building around the politics of the fractured states.

We grapple with the unsettling implications of Civil War. Is it a sensationalized dystopian vision, an urgent cautionary tale, or a mix of both? The differing perspectives make for a solid conversation about one of the year's polarizing films.

Film Sundries

• Watch this on Apple or find other places at JustWatch
• Theatrical trailer
• Letterboxd

The Next Reel’s Family of Film Podcasts

• Cinema Scope
• The Film Board
• Freely Adapted (coming soon!)
• Movies We Like
• The Next Reel
• The Next Reel Shorts (retired)
• One Minute for Old Men (coming soon!)
• The Saturday Matinée (retired)
• Silver Linings (retired)
• Sitting in the Dark
• Three of a Kind (retired)
• Trailer Rewind (retired)

Build your own website (or one for your granny!) with SQUARESPACE. Try it today!

Check out The Next Reel’s MERCH STORE!

Visit our ORIGINALS PAGE to buy books, comics, plays, or other source material for the movies we've talked about on the show. By doing so, you get to find your next book to dig into and help us out in the process as a portion comes back our way. Enjoy!

Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s DISCORD channel!

Here’s where you can find us around the internet:

• The Web
• Letterboxd
• Flickchart
• Check out poster artwork for movies we’ve discussed on our Pinterest page
• Pete
• JJ
• Ocean
• Steve
• Tommy
• Andy

We spend hours every week putting this show together for you, our dear listener, and it would sure mean a lot to us if you considered becoming a member. When you do, you get early access to shows, ad-free episodes, and a TON of bonus content. To those who already support the show, thank you. To those who don’t yet: what are you waiting for?

Become a Member here: $5 monthly or $55 annually

What are some other ways you can support us and show your love? Glad you asked!

• Or buy or rent movies we’ve discussed on the show from our WATCH PAGE.
• Or renew or sign up for a Letterboxd Pro or Patron account with our LETTERBOXD MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT.
• Or sign up for AUDIBLE.