You’ve probably seen the posters by now. A group of young men looking gritty, tired, and remarkably un-Hollywood. When A24 dropped Warfare in April 2025, people weren’t just talking about the explosions or the "real-time" gimmick. They were talking about the faces.
The cast of warfare film—which, let's be honest, is basically a "who’s who" of the next generation of leading men—was tasked with something pretty heavy. This wasn't just another script. It was a reconstruction of a specific, traumatic day in 2006 during the Battle of Ramadi.
Directors Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza (a real-life Navy SEAL who actually lived through the events of the film) didn't want typical "action heroes." They wanted kids who looked like they were in over their heads. Because in 2006, they were.
The Men Who Played the Platoon
At the center of it all is D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai. You likely know him from Reservation Dogs, but here he plays the director himself, Ray Mendoza.
Think about that for a second. Imagine playing your boss while he watches you from behind the monitor. Woon-A-Tai has spoken openly in interviews about the "insane pressure" of portraying someone who was not only on set but was actively reliving his worst memories through the production. It’s a quiet, intense performance that anchors the whole chaotic mess.
Then you’ve got Cosmo Jarvis playing Elliott Miller, Mendoza’s best friend. Jarvis is one of those actors who just feels "lived-in." According to reports from the set, the real Elliott Miller was actually there for a good chunk of the filming. Jarvis and Miller spent weeks hanging out, which probably explains why that specific on-screen friendship feels so heartbreakingly authentic.
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A Who’s Who of "Heartthrobs" in the Mud
The rest of the squad is a weirdly perfect mix of prestige TV stars and breakout talent:
- Will Poulter as Erik (the Officer in Charge). Poulter has done the war thing before in War Machine, but this is different. He’s the authority figure who has to make impossible calls when the bureaucracy of war fails them.
- Kit Connor as Tommy. This was a massive pivot for Connor. Moving from the gentle world of Heartstopper to a visceral, R-rated Iraq war drama is the kind of career move that defines an actor.
- Joseph Quinn as Sam. Fresh off his massive success in Stranger Things and Gladiator II, Quinn plays a Leading Petty Officer who gets injured early on. His performance is mostly physical—portraying that specific, grinding pain of a soldier trying to stay useful while bleeding out.
- Charles Melton as Jake. Coming off his Oscar-snubbed turn in May December, Melton plays a Lieutenant J.G. in Alpha Two. It's a role that strips away his "pretty boy" image entirely.
- Finn Bennett as John. Bennett, who blew everyone away in True Detective: Night Country, rounds out the core group as the communicator for the second platoon.
Why the "Brotherhood" Isn't Just PR
Every war movie says the cast "bonded like brothers." It’s a cliché. But with the cast of warfare film, there’s actually some evidence to back it up.
Before cameras even started rolling, the entire ensemble went through a brutal three-week boot camp led by Ray Mendoza. They weren't just learning how to hold a rifle; they were learning how to move as a single unit.
There’s a famous story now about the cast all shaving each other's heads to get into character. It wasn't a stylist with a fancy clipper—it was just the guys, a pair of buzzers, and a lot of nerves. They even ended up getting matching tattoos, which is either a great bonding story or a very permanent reminder of a very difficult shoot.
Real Names, Real Stakes
One thing that sets Warfare apart from movies like Civil War (Garland’s previous outing) is that these characters are based on real people, many of whom are still around.
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Michael Gandolfini plays USMC Lieutenant "Mac" MacDonald. Noah Centineo (stepping far away from his Netflix rom-com roots) plays Brian Zawi, a gunner. Adain Bradley appears as Sergeant Laerrus.
The film operates in "real-time," which means the actors had to maintain a specific level of adrenaline for hours on end. There’s no "cutting to three weeks later." If a character is out of breath in the first ten minutes, they’re still out of breath in the final ten.
The Impact and the Awards
The industry took notice. By late 2025 and early 2026, the awards started rolling in.
The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) gave the group the Best Ensemble Performance award in November 2025. It’s rare for a war movie to win ensemble awards because the individual performances often get lost in the noise, but the chemistry here was undeniable.
The film also picked up wins for Best Sound and Best Editing, which makes sense when you realize how much of the "performance" relied on the actors reacting to the deafening, immersive soundscape created by Glenn Freemantle and his team.
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How to Watch and What to Look For
If you’re planning to watch Warfare (it's currently streaming on Max as of early 2026), don't expect a traditional hero's journey.
Honestly, it’s kinda uncomfortable to watch. It’s supposed to be.
Keep an eye on the background actors, too. Many of them were actual veterans brought in to ensure the tactical movements looked "right." When you see the squad moving through a house in Ramadi, they aren't following a "cool" choreography—they're following the SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) that Mendoza taught them.
Next Steps for the Viewer:
- Watch the Official A24 Featurette: There is a 10-minute "making of" video on YouTube that shows the boot camp footage. Seeing Kit Connor and Joseph Quinn covered in mud while Ray Mendoza yells at them adds a lot of context to their on-screen exhaustion.
- Look Up the 2006 Battle of Ramadi: The film covers a very specific incident from November 19, 2006. Reading the actual tactical reports makes the film's "real-time" structure even more impressive.
- Check Out the Soundtrack: The sound design won multiple awards for a reason. If you have a decent pair of headphones, use them. The way the cast reacts to the placement of sound is half the acting.