Summary
- Civil War starts streaming on Max on September 13, 2024.
- The Alex Garland film was somewhat divisive due to its ambiguous politics, lack of backstory, and focus on journalists.
- Civil War earned generally positive reviews from critics and audiences and was a modest box office success.
Civil War‘s streaming release date has now been revealed. Directed by Alex Garland, Civil War stars Cailee Spaeny as Jessie, a young photo journalist who embarks on a road trip to Washington D.C. as a civil war ravages the country. The A24 film, which also stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Jesse Plemons and Nick Offerman, was a critical and commercial success, and landed on VOD earlier this summer. It was unclear, however, when audiences would be able to watch Civil War on streaming.
Now, Max reveals that Civil War will start streaming on the platform starting Friday, September 13. The Garland film will make its linear debut the next day, on September 14, at 8 p.m. ET on HBO. The film’s upcoming streaming release follows its release on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD on July 9.
How Did Civil War Fare In Theaters?
The A42 Movie Has Been A Divisive Success
Before it even hit theaters, Civil War was divisive. Trailers and marketing painted a picture of a divided United States, but, for many, the film’s fictional alliances, particularly the one between Texas and California, were not believable. Civil War‘s state alliances are also not really explained in the film, and neither is the cause of the titular conflict. This was enough to turn many off from the experience, but delving into backstory was clearly never Garland’s intention, and the film instead serves as a chilling depiction of what life on the ground would look like if such a conflict occurred.
Related
Civil War’s Real Meaning Explained: What Point The Movie Is Trying To Make
While Civil War doesn’t go deep into specific reasons and motivations for the conflict in a fictionalized America, there are still some key points.
Garland’s film also generated controversy due to its limited use of AI-generated posters.
Civil War‘s reviews were generally positive from critics, and the film currently enjoys a strong 81% on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience score is lower at 70%, speaking to the more divided response from general movie-goers, but this score still suggests a generally positive reception overall. Part of the more lukewarm audience response also stems from expectations going in, as some expected from the movie’s marketing that it would be more of a blockbuster action flick instead of a serious war thriller about journalists.
Civil War marks A24’s most expensive undertaking yet, and features an estimated budget of $50 million. The studio’s move into bigger-budget territory paid off, as Garland’s film ended its box office run with $122.5 million grossed worldwide. Civil War has also consistently placed in top 10 charts for VOD performance since its home release, suggesting it’s been a hit in that area as well. Garland’s film is definitely poised to be a big draw on streaming as well.
Source: Max
Civil War
3.5
Civil War is a 2024 action thriller from writer and director Alex Garland. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, and Stephen McKinley Henderson, Civil War takes place in the near future and shows the United States entering a new Civil War after California and Texas attempt to separate from the country.
- Release Date
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April 26, 2024
- Studio(s)
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DNA Films
- Distributor(s)
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A24
- Runtime
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109 Minutes
