We’ve all seen bad military movies. The kind where the dialogue feels off, the tactics look wrong, and you can’t help but wonder if anyone behind the camera ever talked to someone who’s actually served.
That’s exactly what Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza are trying to change. The two filmmakers share a mission: to tell military stories with a raw honesty rarely seen on screen. Their partnership–first forged in Garland’s “Civil War” and now in their latest project, “Warfare”–is built on trust, respect, and an uncompromising pursuit of authenticity.
Mendoza knows what’s at stake. A former Navy SEAL who spent more than 16 years in service, including combat tours in Iraq, he isn’t just another veteran brought in to check details. He’s the driving creative force behind “Warfare,” which reconstructs a 2006 attack he survived. The story unfolds in real time, drawn directly from the memories of the men who lived it—and told in honor of Mendoza’s teammate Elliott Miller, who was injured so badly that he has no memory of the events.
“I did this for Elliott Miller,” Mendoza said. “I have one opportunity to tell it right, to get it right, and to honor the people who were there.”
That sense of duty struck a chord with Garland, who believes authenticity isn’t just about whether the gear or tactics are correct–it’s about capturing emotional truth. Working with Mendoza gave him access to the lived details that ground a story.
In “Warfare,” that translates to a visceral, moment-by-moment experience of a small SEAL platoon caught in the chaos of an overwatch mission gone wrong.
“Combat is intense, fast. Words aren’t enough,” Mendoza reflected.
The film leans into that reality, pulling the audience into the disorienting sensory overload of battle in a way only someone who’s been there could shape.
To prepare the cast, Mendoza ran them through a punishing three-week boot camp–where they dove head-first into weapons handling, tactics, and team endurance exercises. The goal wasn’t just to look convincing on screen; it was to give the actors a glimpse of the physical and psychological strain of combat and, more importantly, the bond that comes from enduring it together.
For Garland, working with Mendoza wasn’t about getting technical details perfect for their own sake. It was about emotional authenticity.
The two are already talking about future projects together in the military genre. But at its core, their collaboration isn’t just about making better war movies–it’s about forging connections.
“For veterans who are wanting to talk to their loved ones and say, ‘Hey, this was my experience,’ you’re the reason I made this film,” Mendoza said.
