For decades war movies have come in all shapes and sizes. But only a handful of modern war movies have hit as hard as “Warfare” from Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza. A former U.S. Navy SEAL, Mendoza writes and directs alongside Alex Garland (“Ex Machina”, “Civil War”) to deliver a raw and no frills feature based on his own personal memories. The results are harrowing, sobering, and eye-opening. And it makes for one of the most gripping experiences of the year.

Already heralded for its stunning realism, “Warfare” thrusts us into the grip of combat where bravery and brotherhood are the only means of survival. Before filming began, the cast underwent an intensive three week bootcamp that included weapons training, communications etiquette, and tactical maneuvers. It pays off in some really big ways, adding a striking layer of authenticity that help Mendoza and Garland immerse us deeper into the true-to-life world they’re recreating.

The story of “Warfare” is as straightforward as its title. There are no sweeping character arcs, no dense plot, no artificial drama. Set in 2006 during the Iraq War, the movie follows Navy SEAL team Alpha One also known as the Bushmasters. The team are ordered to take up a sniper position on the top floor of a home they commandeer in Ramadi. From there they are to monitor a market place just down the street that’s believed to be a gathering place for insurgents.

One the many effective elements in “Warfare” is in how it presents the moment by moment realities these soldiers face. We’re immediately shown that not every second of a mission is guns blazing. In fact, Mendoza and Garland use their early scenes to emphasize the lull of surveillance and intelligence gathering. Yet they ramp up the tension with subtle references to the danger these young men are in. And when a hand grenade is tossed into their building, the intensity quickly goes from a simmer to a boil.

Things only ratchet up from there as “Warfare” grounds us in the efforts of the platoon to evacuate amid a hail of small arms fire from the converging insurgents. With unflinching effort, Mendoza and Garland put us side by side with the soldiers, making us feel the ferocity of combat without sacrificing verisimilitude for sensationalism. They avoid the usual war movie tropes – no chest-pounding bravado, no “tell my wife I love her” moments, no big inspirational speeches. Every heart-stopping second feels rooted in reality.

Capturing the real-time events is aided by the film’s impressively stacked cast that includes Will Poulter, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton, Cosmo Jarvis, Michael Gandolfini, and Kit Connor among others. Each young actor clearly understands their assignment and fully commits to bringing their real-life characters to the screen as authentically as possible. They really shine in the second half as the mission falls apart and the “war is hell” adage takes full form.

Equally impressive and just as vital is the technical craft, from the stunning cinematography to the concussive sound design. Both contribute to the overall visceral reaction the movie evokes, at times hitting like a sensory assault but in the most fitting way. Take the scene where an IED is suddenly detonated. The sound of the blast rattled my theater and the disorientation of the aftereffects underscores the chaos. Both leave such an impact.

Those who tend to view war movies through the prism of politics may be discouraged to find that “Warfare” isn’t interested in sermonizing or editorialization. That’s not to say there isn’t plenty that we can conclude from the moral murkiness that unfolds onscreen. But the movie’s focus remains on the men in uniform, and for 93 minutes we follow them through the trenches of warfare where we’re inspired by acts of heroism yet grieved at the human cost. It’s the latter that makes “Warfare” such a gut punch.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS