'Civil War' addresses divided politics, journalism

STORY: Set in the near future and equal parts a war film and a road movie, "Civil War" sees fictional Reuters photographer Lee (Kirsten Dunst) and reporter Joel (Wagner Moura) take to the road to reach Washington, DC before it falls to a rebel faction. To Lee's initial dismay, aspiring young photographer, Jessie (Cailee Spaeny) and veteran New York Times reporter Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) tag along for the obstacle-ridden trip from New York.

"It's a story about journalists and journalism and why we need them and what they do," Garland said at the film's London premiere on Tuesday (March 26).

"But it's also asking a question, which is why is good journalism not getting the traction that it gets. What's gone wrong? And then a very similar sort of question about sort of polarised populist politics as well, extremist politics."

Taking on the role of Lee, who is worn out from years of covering war zones, was a first for Hollywood veteran Dunst.

"I feel like I haven't played a role like this. And it's nice to have a woman who has this job as a photojournalist be the lead of an action movie, about war," she said.

Garland, director of "Ex Machina" and writer of "28 Days Later" as well as the novel and the film "The Beach" began writing "Civil War" in 2020, at the start of the COVID pandemic and in the lead up to the U.S. presidential election that year.