Garland’s unnerving thriller feels bracingly relevant, given the indelible memories of January 6th, 2021. Wisely, the director never gets overtly political or too specific as to who or what caused the conflict, focusing instead on the outcome: a pervasive sense of fear and dislocation, with shortages everywhere and the threat of sudden, random violence in the air. The whole cast excels, but Dunst’s Oscar-caliber performance as a woman who’s captured too much hate and misery carries the film. “Civil War” is a solid nailbiter and a cautionary tale that should make us think about how to heal the divisions that plague us.
