Civil War: Worst Film Ever Made?

[DJ Davis]

Sorry for the Clark Kimble headline.

But seriously, I think this film might be up there for worst ever.

What was the point of it? Was it an homage to photo journalists? You would think in a film about a Civil War they would explain what both sides are fighting about and how it all happened. But you get none of that.

At least the girl from Alien was in it. She’s pretty cute.

[3dender]

When I heard it was a movie about a hypothetical Civil War that refused to actually take any sort of stand beyond "craziness bad," I decided to skip. From what I've read of it the main message seems to be that journalists are like the only hope for saving society or something? Quackery.

[todd-parker]

I viewed the film as just a snapshot of what a present-day civil war in the U.S. would resemble - told through the viewpoint of journalists covering the action. Not painting the journalists as heroes, just as the vessel to tell the story. The filmmaker made a point not to assign political affiliations to either side to avoid the eventual whining from whichever real-life party felt aggrieved. Of course, people who watch the film are still going to pass judgement based on their own personal biases and beliefs - which just makes the choice not to use labels more effective. Pretty intense movie with some definitely stunning images and scenes - involving scenarios that many would not find impossible to become reality considering the current trajectory of American political/tribal culture.

'Baby Geniuses' is still the worst film ever made.

[Barksdale's People]

I think the main message is re. the horrors of war. You, the viewer, basically are the girl from Alien. Along for the ride through the frontlines of a Civil War, despite not knowing what being along for the ride entails at first. Over the course of the movie she finds out and becomes hardened to some of those realities, meanwhile Kirsten Dunst goes the opposite direction.

It's fine. I watched it once in a hotel while on a work trip. I wouldn't seek it out again or tell my wife we have to sit down and watch this great movie I just saw, but I would probably stop in on TNT sometime in the future to catch the last hour or whatever.

Interesting premise, so-so story and execution, really tense Jesse Plemons scene. I think those would be my takeaways.

And the worst movie ever is the Entourage movie. I haven't seen Baby Geniuses yet though.

[thegibby.]

Everything being made now is the worse.

[Pink Freud]

Anything in the "God's Not Dead" series of howlers justifies this thread title's query.

[141]

I just finished watching it on Max.

I don’t get the hate for this movie. As someone else said, the message is the horror and carnage of war, regardless of what “side” is right or wrong.

The growth, if you call it that in the young girl Jesse was countered by the sudden collapse of the tough-as-nails Lee.

[Ronnie Dobbs]

I thought it was pretty corny. The Plemons scene was pretty good. Some of the action was pretty cool, even if it was basically just like a Call of Duty game or something. I question whether or not the military would be so willing to have journalists right there with them like that. Also, a Civil War movie where the focus is on journalism sounded dumb and ended up dumb, in my opinion. Didn't care at all about the story and knew how it was going to go as soon as the movie started.

[Pink Freud]

Interesting take, making news reporters the stars. Compare how we collectively regard the Vietnam War vs. WWII:

In Vietnam we saw network news videotape every evening of dead soldiers with the critical commentary of Walter Cronkite, Huntley & Brinkley, and Howard K. Smith. Because of one piece of video --- ONE --- showing returning vets spat upon, we thought all were. We saw draft card burnings, draft dodgers, student protests, and ROTC bombings on campus. The war ended with helicopters on rooftops on Saigon and Hanoi rescuing desperate Americans and evacuees while TV comics ridiculed Nixon and LBJ. We saw it all with our own eyes as reporters whitewashed NOTHING.

In WWII there was no TV. We got heroic radio and newspaper American battle dispatches (apochryphal?) from the frontlines by Ernie Pyle and patriotic editorial cartoons from Bill Mauldin. Women went to work while their men went overseas in uniform. Numerous baseball heroes joined the war effort. At the movies we saw Defense Department propaganda newsreels. On radio we heard FDR's assuring Fireside Chats to the whole family. The war ended with happy parades through Times Square and celebratory cover photos in Life Magazine and Saturday Evening Post.

Perhaps the point of "Civil War" is that our opinion of war is shaped mostly by that era's news media.

[Dicktar2023]

I refuse to see another Alex Garland movie until the director refunds the $10 I paid to see Men (litigation pending), but it sounds like Civil War is a cynical attempt to cash in on the current US political climate, without actually having to say on the topic. That's what I gathered from the reviews, anyway.

[DJ Davis]

I completely understand the desire of the producers not to make it a left vs. right type of film. But I don’t know, I’m one of those people who likes some explanation in the plot as to why we are seeing what we are seeing.

To portray the carnage of war, that’s been done over and over again.

And the journalists are so shaken up that they’re jumping in and out of car windows, driving fast down the road. That scene was just absurd.

[Pink Freud]

To portray the carnage of war, that’s been done over and over again. And the journalists are so shaken up that they’re jumping in and out of car windows, driving fast down the road. That scene was just absurd.

Every weeknight when I watch "NBC Evening News" I keep waiting for Lester Holt to announce the death of mideast correspondent Richard Engel, who seems to always to be in the most dangerous war zones.

[FrankTheTank]

I watched it over the weekend and it was fine. No where near the "worst movie ever made" trophy, man o man I could name 100 worse.

I also was annoyed on how they didn't explain anything. I don't need things hand fed to me, but maybe just a little bit of background would have been nice. How did they get Jesse Plemons to play Todd from Breaking Bad again? I guess he didn't die???

I feel like it was a little Walking Dead-ish...in the way it doesn't tell us how the military fell, or how the zombies move in rain, cold weather, how they climb stares and open doors, you know, cool little zombie stuff like that. Anyways, if you don't watch it, you aren't missing anything.

[MikoTython]

If they got into a political narrative, that would become the entire heft of the film. It seems pretty clear the creators were focusing on the brutal realities of secession / schism, etc., which is actually a fetish among some people who seem to believe it would be some sort of panacea, to reinforce how ugly the reality would be, however arrived at.

If you demand a political narrative, that's a different film - go make it, or wait for someone else to make it. This film is what it is - I don't consider it a grand endeavor, but a worthy attempt to get to a snapshot of what revolution/chaos in the US ruptured might somewhat taste like.

Every failed state or region has its own dreary tale of greed/tribalism/injustice, civilization subverted. They're all at least slightly similar.

[crowes74]

It wasn’t good, but I’d say far from the worst film I’ve seen.

Took a REAL long road to pass the torch from one journalist to another.