Alt-reality thriller Civil War has hit cinemas while we were on hiatus.

In what’s thought to be Alex Garland’s last major film before retirement, Nick Offerman plays a fascist president from a near-present timeline who is clinging to power for a third term, bringing down democratic institutions in order to stay in the White House.

In a somewhat unexpected pairing, rebel states California and Texas have teamed up to fight back, pushing the US towards a second civil war. Kirsten Dunst plays a photo-journalist risking her life to travel across the country to interview Offerman’s president in the hope of avoiding war.

Given current politics in the US the film’s premise may strike too close to home for many and even Garland has suggested he doesn’t see his film as sci-fi at all. It’s been well received by critics though, with a 91% Rotten Tomatoes rating from 85 reviews.

Civil War is in cinemas from April 12.

References

A24 Civil War | Official Trailer YouTube

A24 Civil War | Official Trailer 2 YouTube