​Warfare (2025) is a British-American war film co-directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Civil War) and former U.S. Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza. The film is a visceral, real-time depiction of a harrowing mission during the Iraq War, based on Mendoza’s personal experiences.​

Set on November 19, 2006, in Ramadi, Iraq, the film follows Navy SEAL platoon Alpha One as they occupy a multi-story building for surveillance. As tensions escalate, the team faces a deadly ambush involving IEDs and insurgent attacks. The narrative unfolds in real time, emphasizing the chaos and unpredictability of urban warfare. The story is dedicated to Elliott Miller, a platoon member who suffered severe injuries during the mission. ​

In a discussion on The New Yorker’s Critics at Large podcast, hosts emphasized how Warfare shifts the focus of war films from stylized narratives to deeply personal storytelling, reflecting a cultural emphasis on authenticity and lived experience. ​